Convergence
by KISS1971
Summary: This story is AU.No pulse,no escape from Manticore.Logan is a freelance journalist who investigates conspiracy theories.Unfortunately he has attracted one too many enemies,and the X5s are unleashed to assassinate him,but they don't find it an easy task.
1. Chapter 1: More Than Meets The Eye

**A/N: As described in the summary this fanfic is very AU. Max is still apart of the Manticore structure, there was no escape and no pulse. But Logan is still stirring up trouble with his cyber hacks and journalistic views. Max and her siblings are given the task to quiet him, but Manticore may have bitten off more than they can handle in trying to get to Logan Cale.**

**Reviews are welcomed and appreciated. Please review!!**

Chapter 1: More Than Meets The Eye

_They were coming for him. They didn't think he knew, but he had known long before they did, long before it had even occurred to them._ _They didn't remember, didn't know what he was. If they knew they wouldn't try to kill him. He was the piece they had been desperately searching for, even though they hadn't realized it yet._

_Let them come, he was ready for them, he would always be ready. He looked forward to it, maybe they would be a match for him. Brain versus brawn, but he shouldn't under estimate them, maybe there was more to them than met the eye. He hoped so, he needed the challenge. But right now he had to move and get things set up, won't do to be here like a sitting duck, that was no way to fight a war._

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She hated city ops. There were too many people, too much noise and she always felt like everything was closing in on her. The only good things was that they could blend in and for a while they were just like everyone else. Sometimes it felt nice to be like any other human being, instead of a revved up super solider.

"Max," came the familiar voice of Ben in her ear. "We all are all in position. I have the exit leading from the rear of the garage, Zack has the lobby door and Sil has the front garage entrance. We have you covered."

Max nodded her head although she knew no one could see her. It was pitch black outside and they were all in black including black face paint. She was poised on the roof of the building across from her intended target, Foggle Towers. The target was a resident in a penthouse apartment not quite on the top floor, but because of they way the building was constructed a small area of the apartment she was headed for had a skylight. That was her ticket inside, sometimes she didn't understand why _normal _people left themselves so vulnerable. But then again their intended target was far from normal, pissing off Manticore and a number of other military and government agencies was not the most intelligent thing to do.

Unfortunately for Logan Cale his time had run out, and in a big way. She didn't understand why they just didn't have him arrested, why they had to send in 4 X-5s to take him out, but then it wasn't necessary for her to understand. Time to get this over with, then back to the rendezvous point.

Max sailed through the night landing quieter than a cat on the roof of Foggle Towers. Sliding down to the sky light, she unhooked her harness and pried the pane open. They had disabled the security system to the building hours ago, and the residents had been informed that the security company would be sending someone out to check the system in the morning. These people thought they were safe in their insulated little world, little did they know.

Max landed on her feet in a hallway, the front door at her back. The first thing that struck her was how quiet it was, so quiet that even the air was still. Too still, like no one had passed through it in a very long time. She moved stealthily into the kitchen, it was dark and quiet. There was no aroma of food having been prepared, no dirty dishes, no nothing. She moved into the darkened dining room, and peered into the living room. They were both furnished but there were no personal touches, no pictures, books or magazines laying around. She glanced briefly into a room that must have been an office at one point, but besides a desk and a filing cabinet there was nothing there.

She didn't have to go through the rest of the apartment to know that it was empty, but she did so any way. She would have to report on what she found and telling her superiors that she hadn't checked every single room would be unacceptable. The hallway bathroom was her next stop and like te rest of the apartment it was empty and sterile. The guestroom was devoid of any furniture, and the closet was empty. Max crept down to the master bedroom. The room was furnished and still held a whiff of something masculine, it was a smell that intrigued her. The bed was neatly made, the curtains drawn and surprisingly a bedside lamp was on. Creeping further into the room she saw a piece of paper was propped against the base of the lamp. She would have ignored it, if it had not been addressed to _X5-452._

The shock that rippled through her was enough to make her stagger from the room, but not before she grabbed the single sheaf of paper. Max wasted no time climbing back through the sky light and onto the roof. Once there she rigged herself back into her harness and got the hell out of dodge.

"Abort!!" She whispered loudly into the special mic that was sewn into her clothing. She didn't need to see the team to know that they had fallen back, blended with the night and were heading to the rendezvous point. After years of training together they just knew how to anticipate each other's needs.

Max made her way down to the alley and swung up into the seat of the compact motorcycle that had been provided to each one of them. The rendezvous point was a one bedroom flat in a rough section of the city. It would only take her 20 minutes to get there, and in the mean time that gave her plenty of time to think about what she had found, or what she hadn't found.

"All clear," came over the ear piece from Zack, closely followed by Ben. After another 5 minutes Sil sounded her clear and that just left Max. She could already see the ugly squat building, and she felt relief flood through her. She wasn't sure why but tonight had her on edge, and it wasn't a feeling that she liked.

She carried the bike up the stairs; they had decided earlier that 4 black motorcycles parked outside would attract too much notice, so they brought the bikes inside. Although thinking about it, Max was sure someone seeing her carrying a motorcycle up the stairs like it was a small sack of groceries would attract a fair amount of attention.

"All clear," she whispers and the door to the flat opens silently. Ben reaches out and takes the bike from her as Zack pulls her inside. The room was shrouded in shadows, but they didn't even need those to see clearly thanks to enhanced genetics. Max fell onto the sofa next to Sil and took the bottle of water that was handed to her.

"What happened?" Zack asks sitting on the floor in front of the sofa. Max took a moment to get her thoughts together before launching into her discovery at Foggle Towers.

"First of all there was nobody there," she starts.

"Well maybe intel was wrong and the target was out for the evening," Ben interrupted.

"No, nobody there as in moved, long gone," Max clarified. "They place was mostly furnished but there was nothing indicating WHO might have lived there, and it's been empty for a while."

"Alright, so the target has moved but what made you call an abort?" Zack asks staring hard at Max. She pulled the piece of paper from her inside pocket and held it up.

"It's one thing to move, but quite another to leave a little note for the person coming to send you to your eternal rest," she quips. They all stare at the folded piece of paper. All 3 of them try to remain stoic upon seeing that it was addressed to X5-452.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Ben asks.

"Have you read what's inside?" Sil asks sitting forward.

"No, I thought it best to get the hell out of there," Max shrugs. "The place was empty, but it could have been rigged with explosives, or some one could have been watching us. Obviously he knew we were coming."

"Could this have just been a training exercise?" Sil asks Zack trying to piece this all together.

"Anything is possible, but I highly doubt it," he replies. "This guy is very real, and he has caused major problems for the military and government, especially top secret projects. They want him taken care of in a major way."

"I think it's time to read what he has to say," Ben says nodding to the paper that Max is still holding. "He some how not only knew we were coming, but he has the name of the person who was sent after him. That makes him a whole hell of a lot more dangerous than just some guy who writes accurate conspiracy theories.

Max had to agree, but she didn't want to read the words that this man had left for her. He had made this personal and she didn't appreciate that, on second thought he probably didn't appreciate being targeted for assassination. He was probably taking that quite personally. She unfolded the paper and began to read out loud, no sense keeping it to herself.

_X5-452 or would you rather I call you Max? Probably not, that is your SECRET name. I apologize for not staying around for the party, it is not quite time for us to meet, but soon I promise you._

_Your superiors have underestimated me, they have forgotten, they don't know what I am. Maybe they never knew. Tell them to try a little harder and they can find me, but next time I will not be so nice as to leave just a note, and Max they'll send you to me again._

It wasn't signed, so they couldn't be one hundred percent positive that it had been left by the target. It could be someone else playing games with them, but Max highly doubted it.

"I don't like this," Ben hisses getting up and pacing the room. "Only we know our secret names, Lydecker doesn't even know them, how the hell does this guy know?"

"We have to get back to base," Zack says standing also. "Let them figure this out, they screwed up not us."

"I agree with Ben, I don't like this," Sil says grabbing there gear and beginning the process of erasing their presence from the room. "This guy is smarter than they gave him credit for."

"Yeah, let's go," Max agrees not liking the feeling that washes over her. Her stomach clinches tightly as they hit the street, heat curling around inside of her like an insidious being. Her toes curl in anticipation of something yet to come. Max feels her heart race and her senses burn with something she can't explain. She looks around quickly, but sees nothing, nothing out of the ordinary. She climbs on her motorcycle, she hates city ops.

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A figure in silver stands atop of a building a half a block away, and watches as four black motorcycles race through the quiet streets of Seattle. He watches as they blend with the shadows until all he can see of them are the images he has committed to memory.

He also feels his stomach clench in anticipation, but unlike HER, he knows why; and he welcomes the feeling. He welcomes the heat that pools through his veins; he revels in the sensations that course through his body. The headiness and thrill are feelings he looks forward too.

He knows they will be back, he will see her again. They won't give up, he has caused too much trouble, made them look like fools on one too many occasions. But they don't understand what they are dealing with. He smiles in the darkness, he'll be more than happy to remind them.

**A/N: Please hit that review button and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2: Debriefed

**A/N: I want to thank everyone who left a review. I am also glad that you guys want more because I have plenty more of this story in me. Just to let you know, the chapters will probably get longer as I continue to write, I tended to get a bit long winded. The rating may also change throughout the story.**

**This chapter is to help advance the story along, and the next couple of chapters will contain lots of info and hopefully some action. So please review and let me know how I am doing.**

Chapter 2: Debriefed

"What do you mean no one was there?" Asherton asks the four X5s standing around a table being debriefed. He was incredulous that they seemed to be second guessing what Intel had told them. "And you decided not to wait until the target returned for what reason?"

"Because we'd still be there waiting," Max drawls under her breath. She didn't like Asherton, he was an evil prick and the only reason he had made it this far was because he was willing to kiss anyone's ass to get what he wanted.

"What was that 452?" Asherton asks with a hint of smugness in his voice. He had been wanting to put 452 in her place for some time now, and it looked like she just might have handed herself to him all nice and gift wrapped.

_Calm down Max, don't let him rile you. He's looking for a reason to bust your chops, but now is not the time to give it to him._

Max could swear she felt the whispered words like a gentle caress across her mind and body, it soothed her nerves and helped her pull her anger in. Her breathing settled and her mind became clear, and she could see that Asherton was hoping to goad her into exploding. That wasn't going to happen now. She glanced at her brothers and sister, but none of them gave any indication that they had been the one to help her out.

"We didn't wait because no one lives there any longer, no one was coming home," she tells him calmly. She watched as he frowned, wether it was because she was no longer rising to his bait or because he didn't understand what she was telling him; she wasn't sure.

"What led you to believe that no one longer lived there?" He asks sitting back in the chair waiting to see how she was going to weasel her way out of this one. He hated the X5s, but more importantly he hated Max. He never went too deep into why all his rage centered on this one particular solider, probably because the answer terrified him.

"Simple really," Max stated with a calmness that she hadn't felt earlier. "No personal affects, no clothing in the closets, there were no pictures anywhere, no food in the kitchen. If some one was living there, they went out to get soap, shampoo, toothpaste, hell even their toothbrush every day, or they brought it with them. No one has lived in that apartment in weeks, probably months."

"So you're telling me that months of Intel that we collected was wrong!" He shouts slamming his open palm on the table in front of her. He got a little angrier when she didn't jump or react in any way to his burst of anger. Her fellow companions on the other hand were not as casual as she was. They all focused their uncanny attention directly on him, and it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. They could kill him faster than he could even think to call for help; he needed to calm down.

"I wouldn't presume to tell you wether your Intel was wrong or inaccurate," she states looking him straight in the face. "What I can tell you is that _no one _was living there last night."

"Well 452 since you can't manage to do a simple op..." Asherton started when the door to the debriefing room swung open and Donald Lydecker walked in. The X5s all snapped to attention immediately, followed a little more slowly by Asherton.

"That will be enough Lieutenant, I'll take it from here," Lydecker says effectively dismissing Asherton from the room. Much like his soldiers he didn't care for Asherton, but his gather had a lot of money and he paid dearly for some one to keep the boy from making to big of a fool of himself. Unfortunately for Lydecker that some one was him.

"At ease soldiers," he says and all four X5s relax. He indicates that they should sit and gradually they do so. He didn't like the fact that Asherton made them stand while giving their report of last night's op; he did so to make them feel inferior. The little shit didn't even realize how far above him these soldiers were on the food chain.

"I've heard your report and I don't dispute what you found when you went inside," Lydecker tells them. "Now let me tell you why everyone is having a hard time believing that Logan Cale was not there." He sits down next to Max and hands each one of them a folder. Inside are several photos of Logan going in and out of Foggle Towers. At times he has bags of groceries and others mundane stuff. After the X5s look at the pictures for several minutes and read the reports of the target's movements, they look at each other and smile.

"You do realize that he has been duping the guys from Intel for months?" Zack asks.

"Tell me why you think so?" Lydecker responds. He knows his _kids _are smart and he has always been willing to listen to what they have to say. It is a mistake that a lot of others make, underestimating these soldiers, thinking they were just killing machines.

"He purposefully used the front door to come and go," Max replies showing several photos of the target using the main lobby door; something that the four X5s knew that the residents of Foggle Towers didn't usually do.

"The garage has direct access to the building through 2 sets of elevators," Sil says pointing to the schematics of Foggle Towers. "Why park in the garage and then walk around to the front door, unless you want to be spotted going in and out."

Lydecker knew they were right and that Logan Cale had once again made them all look like fools. It was something the hot shot journalist had become adept at. Hie tendency to be accurate about the things her reported was what got him slated for an early retirement, just as soon as the guys in Intel could find him again. Lydecker would probably be better off putting his kids on it than trusting that room full of idiots again.

"You are all on mandatory 48 hours down time," Lydecker says dismissing them. It was time for him to go bust some balls down in Intel, and then get this mission back on track. Logan Cale had caused enough problems, it was time for him to become silent.

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Max laid in her bunk trying to understand how the target knew they were coming. Was it possible this Logan Cale had an informant at Manticore? It didn't seem likely, but not everyone was as loyal as a group of super soldiers who had no other place to call home. And how did he know her secret name? Despite what Ben thought she was pretty sure that Lydecker knew all their names, but she was more than positive he wouldn't divulge that information to all and sundry. Lydecker saw them differently than most people, he was able to look beyond all the revved up genetics and see the humans beneath. That was almost a scary thought.

So it was possible that Cale had an inside informant, but that didn't come close to explaining how he knew her name. Plus the letter that he left seemed very personal, like he _knew _her. That was a thought that scared her, and very few things scared an X5. He knew things a person outside of Manticore should not know, he proved that every time one of his cable hacks hit the air waves.

How did he know so much? And his information was accurate, not like he got it from a second hand source, but almost like he was knee deep in Manticore himself. Like he lived her everyday of his life without actually being here. She needed to stop thinking about him, it made her body go all strange on her. Just thinking his name made her break out in a sweat and anticipate things she had not business thinking about.

She also had a bad feeling, like a dark storm was forming on the horizon, and she was smack dab in the middle. This business with Logan Cale was bad news for Manticore, but especially the X5s. He was out to bring Manticore down and when that happened what would happen to all of them?

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"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Jason ask Logan. They were standing on an upper floor balcony watching the 12 men that Logan had hired get out of several vehicles.

"It may not be a good idea, but I'm not taking any chances," Logan replies looking at his best friend. "They will eventually find us and when they do all we will have on our side is surprise. They're stronger and faster than we are."

"But we're a lot smarter," Jason chuckles thinking how Logan had set them up, then gave them the slip.

"We definitely have some advantages, but so do they. That is something we would do well not to forget."

"Instead of hiring these goons, wouldn't it be more prudent to bring everyone in?" Jason asks gazing at the men who were being shown into the house. He didn't like bringing outsiders into something that was considered _family _business.

"I don't want the others in danger," Logan replies. "If something goes wrong, they all be safe, or relatively safe.

"I see you don't mind putting me in danger," Jason replies sarcastically.

"That my friend is because I trust no one like I trust you," Logan says clapping him on the shoulder. Anyone looking at the two of them would mistake them for brothers, although they were not related through their parents. Their bond had been forged long before either had been born, but it had sparked life once they had met.

"Are you afraid of her? Jason asks worried about how far his friend was willing to take this particular game. They had several missions that they should be attending to, but Logan had decided that this situation had been ignored long enough.

"If I wasn't I'd be the biggest fool on the planet," he replies. Before he could say anything further both men tilt their heads to the sides, as if listening to something far away.

"They're getting closer," Jason says shaking his head.

"We knew that; we made sure of it."

"Mr. Cale, your guest are awaiting you in the downstairs parlor," a voice says from the open doorway leading out to the balcony.

"Thank you Iverness," Logan says waving off his butler. Saying that Iverness was a butler was like comparing a house cat to a lion. Iverness towered over everyone that he met, and he probably outweighed everyone as well. He was ugly as sin and the scar that ran straight down the middle of his face didn't help much. He had been with Logan for as long as either could remember, and his unwavering loyalty was all that mattered.

"Come on, let's get this unpleasantness over with," Logan says propelling his reluctant friend through the doorway. "We have a plane to catch, business to attend to and we need to be back here before the show begins."

"Oh goody, we get to be around for the entertainment this time," Jason comments dryly. "So what are their orders?"

"Capture her, contain her," Logan replies with a shrug. "Accidently kill her and I will hunt them to the ends of the earth and make them wish they had never been born."

"Great, I feel an affinity to them already." His friend says with a wry smile. Logan let Jason get a few steps ahead of him, and then closed his eyes and breathed in deep. The time was definitely drawing nearer and the anticipation was almost more than he could stand. If everything went well he'd be in the same room with her inside of a week.

_It's getting closer to the time that we will finally meet, and then we will see if things went according to plan. They still have no idea, but I KNOW and I tremble with the knowledge. Come to me 452, bring battle to me Max._

**A/N: Come on hit that review button!! Please!!**_  
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	3. Chapter 3: Project Mantra

**A/N: Alright I warned you guys that I could get long winded and here I go. I will be going on vacation soon but I hope to get on more chapter up before I leave. Please once gain reviews are appreciated and welcomed.**

Chapter 3: Project Mantra

Lydecker strode down the hall trying to think of something unpleasant enough to stick Asherton with doing. The little prick tried very hard to make it look like his X5s were to blame for the failure of the mission to deal with Logan Cale. It had taken Lydecker an extra hour he didn't have behind closed doors with the director to completely explain the situation, and now Lydecker owed Asherton some payback.

Unfortunately it would have to wait until a later date, he had just been informed that Cale's position had been verified. Intel could not tell him wether or not Logan Cale was in fact in residence, but they now knew where his current base of operations was. It was time to send his X5s out for a little reconnaissance, and if the opportunity to deal with Cale presented itself then they were to take it.

He walked into the briefing room where his soldiers were waiting and noticed that Asherton was already there. He had not asked for the Lieutenant to join them and he was perturbed that he had done so. Lydecker noticed that his X5s were also not pleased with Asherton's presence as the tension in the room was at a heightened level. He would eventually have to do something about the whole situation, but not right now.

"We have Cale's new location, and the 4 of you are moving out tonight at 2100 hours," he begins without any preamble. He was tired and not in a very good mood, fortunately his soldiers didn't require him to be happy to get their job done. "Intel has not been able to ascertain wether or not the target is currently in residence, but that is part of your reconnaissance. If you find him to be obtainable then you are to deploy and take him out. I want this to go as smoothly as possible, dismissed."

The four X5s saluted and left the room without so much as saying a word. The instructions had been clear, and they wanted to get away from Asherton before one of them was unable to control their reaction to the little prick. It was only a matter of time before he met with an unfortunate accident, and none of them could dredge up any sympathy for the Lieutenant.

"Your presence was not required at this particular briefing," Lydecker says turning a jaundiced eye on the young man still staring at the door. He knew Asherton was up to something, but he had yet to figure out what that something could be. Lydecker didn't like the way he watched the female X5s, especially Max.

"I thought it would be prudent to get them here so they could begin the preparations to leave as soon as possible," he replies turning on the charm.

"I think it best if you limited the amount of direct contact you have with the X5s for the time being," Lydecker responds hoping to head off a bad situation. "They are a prickly lot and I really don't need them conflicted or on edge."

"As you wish sir," Asherton replies saluting the Colonel.

"You are dismissed," Lydecker says waving him out. As Asherton goes to open the door it is pushed open and a young female soldier looks into the room, a large box in her hands.

"Colonel Lydecker, I have some information that I think you might want to hear," she says coming into the room at attention as best she can while still holding the box. Lydecker notices that Asherton tries to look unobtrusive hoping no one would pay him any attention.

"Come in Specialist Ryan, and that will be all Lieutenant," Lydecker says effectively dismissing him. Asherton reluctantly leaves the room closing the door firmly behind him. "What requires my attention now?" He asks indicating that they Specialist should take a seat, he was tired and didn't feel like standing on ceremony at that moment.

"Well sir we have almost completely cleaned out all the old files from the storage lockers as you ordered," she begins. Specialist Ryan takes a moment to draw in a deep breath trying to figure the best way to broach her topic.

"I would guess getting to the point would be best for us both," Lydecker says.

"Sir are you familiar with a project by the name of Mantra?" She asks pulling out a large binder and handing it to him.

"No I can't say that I am," he responds glancing at the thick book and then back to her for an explanation.

"It would seem that Project Manticore was the second part of a larger initiative to create the perfect soldier," she tells him.

"What was the first part of this _initiative_ and what was the objective?" he asks growing confused. He had never heard that there was another aspect to Project Manticore.

"Project Mantra was initialized about 15 years before Manticore. The goals of the project were to create an individual with super human intelligence and to delve into psychic awareness. The idea was to tap into unused brain potential and bring it to the forefront. Mantra differed from Manticore in that women between the ages of 18 to 21 were used instead of starting with embryos."

"The women were screened before hand in the hopes that the test subjects selected would already have some psychic sensitivity, and they all had above average intelligence to begin with. DNA manipulation, gene therapy, surgery and brain wave manipulation were used on these woman in hopes to unleash the brain's dormant abilities."

"What kind of _psychic _abilities were they hoping to achieve?" Lydecker asks intrigued with this unknown initiative. If his genetically enhanced super soldiers were also enhanced mentally, they would be truly dangerous and a force to be reckoned with.

"The researchers were hoping for the whole spectrum. Telepathy, telekinesis, remote viewing, clairvoyance, post and precognition, you name it they were trying to harness it. But after 10 years with very little results to show for their efforts funding was pulled and that part of the project was shut down completely. It had become obvious that working with embryos would be easier and Manticore was already beginning to see some small successes where Mantra had seen none."

"What happened to the women who had participated in the project?" Lydecker asks.

"Basically they were thanked for their time and dedication, paid and sent on their way," Specialist Ryan says with a shrug. Lydecker was incredulous that after 10 years of research the women were just allowed to leave. "They were not kept in a military installation and they were under the impression that they were working for a private research facility. But the part that is most interesting is that eventually Mantra and Manticore were to become one overall project, eventually combining the physical and mental aspects to create a genetically enhanced solider with super human intelligence and psychic abilities. I was able to ascertain that some of the research data is missing, as well as something called pheromone designation; I have no idea what that pertains to and there are only vague references in the files we've found so far."

"Do you have a list of the women who participated?" Lydecker asks her. He is stunned that none of this was brought to the surface before now.

"I have a list of their names and their original applications," she replies digging into the box and pulling out several folders.

"I am heading to Washington for a few days," he replies leafing through the binder she had given him, it would make for some interesting reading on the plane ride. "While I am gone, I want you to dig up whatever you can on these women. Don't approach them if you find them, I don't want anyone to know we've come looking for them."

"Is there anything in particular you want me make note of?" Specialist Ryan ask standing and gathering her things together.

"If you see anyone moving objects without the benefit of using their hands, I want to know about it," he replies giving her a rare smile. Specialist Ryan also smiled at the absurdity of that possibility. She was a soldier not a scientist and she had a hard time with some of the research being done at Manticore, but she knew that this was the place to put her military career on the fast track.

"I doubt we'll be encountering any of that," she says to the Colonel. "I will try to at least ascertain the whereabouts of these women. I wouldn't be surprised to find that they were all some how very successful, afterall they scored highly on all the I.Q. tests they were give, and most of them were veritable geniuses."

"Specialist, I'd like you to keep this between you and I for right now," Lydecker says stopping her on the way to the door. "The less people know the better."

"I understand sir," she replies thinking this place was just one secret after another. No one knew everything that went on around Manticore, and looking down at the box she was holding it was obvious that even the people in the know were clueless about some things.

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Max crept closer to the large manor house that over looked a man made lake in a remote part of Montana. The large house was gorgeous and the surrounding countryside had managed to take her breath away. Everything was so big and open that she had felt like she was being swallowed whole by the sky. It was the first time she felt at peace with her surroundings; she could see herself living here, if she was to live some where other than Manticore that is.

Her siblings were spread out at different points along the perimeter of the grounds. It had been decided that Max should not be the one to enter the house after finding the letter the last time they entered an abode owned by the target. He obviously had some one on the inside working for him and they were not taking any chances. So far they had not seen the target, for that matter they hadn't seen another living soul around the whole place.

Zack was about to slip inside when Max got a bad feeling that something was off. This man knew that he was being hunted and the idea that he would hole up in a remote location with no protection made no sense. So either he wasn't here and playing them again or this was a trap. But a trap designed to do what? That was when she heard the unmistakable sound of gun fire coming from inside the house.

With one of them in trouble the other three made to enter the house and help neutralize the threat to their sibling. But before Max could make it up to the house, men burst from the surrounding forest and began to spread out. They were not trying to be quiet or stealthy which meant they were relying in force of numbers to win this battle.

"We have about a dozen guys coming out of the woods and surrounding the house," she informs her siblings as she tries to blend in with the shadows.

"There are another dozen roaming through the house," Zack replies in a near whisper. Max could hear more gun fire from the other side of the house where Ben was trying to gain access.

"I haven't seen any sign of the target," Zack calls back. "Fall back and get to the safe house."

"We aren't leaving are we?" Sil asks. All of them were thinking about going back to Manticore and having to tell Lydecker that once again the target was no where to be found.

"Not this time," Zack replies heading out a third floor window. The guys in the house were trigger happy and he wasn't planning on staying around for the shoot first ask questions later session.

Max began to circle around the men who were slowly sweeping towards her. She was vastly out numbered on this side of the house and it was going to be difficult to slip between them. She could see they were wearing night vision goggles and it was only a matter of time before they were right on top of her. As the first one reached her position and glanced in her direction, she reached out and struck his carotid artery causing him to slump to the ground in a graceless heap. Unfortunately his partner saw him go down and lifted his gun to take a shot at her. Moving with her enhanced reflexes, Max dodged and kicked out, catching the man against the temple. She heard a sickening crunch as he crumbled next to his friend.

She moved back into the trees and began to circle around behind the group of men approaching the area with more caution. This night was not turning out well and she was beginning to really dislike the target for not being were he should be so that they could get this over and done with. Hopefully nothing else would go wrong and they could clear out of here, but of course things were just not going their way tonight. Off in the distance she could hear the distinctive sounds of a helicopter moving closer to them, just what they needed more reenforcements.

"Get out of there Max," Ben hisses into his mic.

"I'm trying, but I seem to be surrounded, and Zack is still not clear either," she replies. No matter what, she was not leaving him behind, they never left anyone alive behind. The men were getting closer to her position and she was not going to have any choice but to make a run for it. Hopefully she could cause enough of a distraction to give Zack the time he needed to get clear and dodge the bullets that were sure to be flying in her direction.

"All clear," Sil calls over her mic, and Max feels reassured that at least two of them were out of this viper's nest. Logan Cale was not taking any chances, there had to be at least a couple dozen guys out there all packing semi automatic assault rifles. Well it was show time and there was no changing her mind, they needed to get out of here before that helicopter arrived with probably more goons.

Max sprang up from her position of cover right in front of black clad man. She grabbed hold of his rifle easily removing it from his grasp and delivered a stunning blow to his chest; he was probably dead before he hit the ground. She had to give it to the goons, they started shooting before their man made contact with the soft earth, but Max was no longer standing still. She began running weaving in and out of the trees with about a half dozen men following after her using her for mobile target practice.

She didn't look over her shoulders to ascertain their position, her only concern was to attract their attention to allow Zack enough time to slip into the surrounding tree cover, and then they could all get the hell out of dodge.

Max slowed her pace a little when she heard an earth shattering scream. The noise was inhuman and caused the hair on the back of her neck to lift. Glancing over her shoulder she saw one of the black clad men go crashing into a tree head first. There was no mistaking the sound of bone crunching as his neck snapped on impact. Before she could completely absorb what might have happened to him, another one of the goons just dropped to the ground in mid stride and began having grand mal seizures.

Not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth, Max took off as the other men stopped to try and assist their friends. Right now she couldn't be concerned about them and she managed to get clear and back to where they had hidden their bikes. She was relieved to see Zack come from the other side, and the two of them smiled as they hopped on their motorcycles calling the _all clear_ simultaneously as they roared out of there.

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"Damn it!' Logan shouted at the man he had left in charge in his absence. "I told you to capture and contain, not to try and turn her into a block of swiss cheese."

"With all due respect sir she took out five of our men without a weapon," the black clad man replies still shaken by what he had seen. Reports from in the house said that another 4 men had been killed and 2 wounded by the _teenage boy_ who then crashed through a third floor window. The woman they were being paid to capture didn't look much older than his kid sister who was still in high school.

Logan couldn't just let these men go, they knew too much. He had decided to send them to Amanda in Columbia and she would be able to deal with them there. It was the best he could hope for as far as damage control went.

"I need you to go to Columbia and assist a friend of mine there," Logan tells him handing him a large manilla envelope. "Your normal fee has already been wired to your account and I trust that I have your complete silence."

The man nodded understanding that his cooperation was only necessary if he wanted to live another day. Logan Cale was a good employer for a mercenary like himself and his men, and he had no desire to get on the man's bad side.

"Yes Mr. Cale," he says taking the envelope and leaving the room.

"Poor guy won't know what hit him when he meets Amanda," Jason says stepping from the shadows.

"No he won't, but the alternative is to dispose of him and his men. That is a scenario I am not comfortable with as I'm sure you are aware of. By time Amanda is done with them, they won't remember anything anyway." Logan says running his hand through his hair.

"So what happened to the 2 men that were chasing her?" Jason asks making his friend look him directly in the face.

"They got too close," Logan says simply with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I told them not to attempt to kill her, contain and capture. It was that simple."

"Logan you killed two men with no thought," Jason says concern plain in his voice. "This is getting way too serious. I know you, this will haunt you for a long time."

"Actually my friend, it took a lot of thought, but I really didn't have much of a choice," Logan replies as the weight of the last couple of hours crashed in on him. Jason was there to catch him as he began to fall to the ground. His body was trembling slightly and his vision was beginning to go black.

"She was suppose to be here tonight, but once again she is still out there where I can't reach her," he mumbles as the darkness begins to close in on him.

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Max stumbles and almost falls as her and Zack carry their motorcycles up the steps to the second floor apartment that was serving as their safe house. Zack hadn't caught her near tumble as he was in front, a fact that she was eternally grateful for. But something had seized her heart and she felt it skip a full beat as sweat broke out on her brow. Something was wrong, she didn't know what, but her head was pounding and her stomach was clenched with tension. She felt like her vision was going black and she had only moments to cry out to Zack before the floor rushed up to meet her and she tumbled into a black oblivion.

**Please hit that review button on your way out of here!**


	4. Chapter 4: Treachery

**A/N: It has taken me a while to start writing and posting again. My family and I have been on an extended vacation due to a very deep loss. But now we are back and I am feeling up to writing again. So here is the next chapter, jsut a little something to move the story along. I apologize because I really did not go over this to correct any mistakes, I just wanted to get it psoted. So please let me know what you think, reviews are very much appreciated.**

Chapter 4: Treachery

Specialist Ryan straightened out her uniform before knocking on the office door of Colonel Lydecker. She was nervous about having had been assigned to this special project by him and not being able to share it with any one else. She had managed to gather quite a bit of information and she was hoping against hope that it would be enough to appease the Colonel.

"Enter," came the brusque reply. Ryan entered the office and stood at attention waiting to be acknowledged. After only a few moments of standing at full attention, the Colonel looked up and acknowledged her presence.

"At ease Specialist," he tells her as he removes his glasses and sits back into his chair. "I'm hoping that folder contains answers to the many question about Project Mantra that have been plaguing me."

"Well sir I have gathered as much information as I could during your absence," she replies taking the chair that he indicated. Ryan opened the folder handing him a large pack of papers and taking out a set for herself.

"As I told you earlier the women who made up the group study were between the ages of 18 to 21 and all had above average intelligence bordering on genius. They also had some level of psychic sensitivity, performing well on tests that had been given during the initial application process," she stopped to take a breath before plunging on.

"The women all lived in a compound outside of Gillette, they were not confined but there were rules and check in times that were strictly enforced. They were allowed communication with family and friends but there correspondences were routinely screened as they were under a confidentiality order. What I found to be of great interest was that after the project was disbanded all 20 women moved to the Seattle area."

"I'm guessing they were not all from the Seattle area originally," Lydecker interrupts looking at her.

'You would be correct," she replies inclining her head slightly. "They came from all over the country, but I guess after having spent ten years together in close confines working together on this project, they wanted to stay close to each other."

"So were they hard to track down? Have you talked to them about why they continue to be in close proximity?" He asks shuffling his papers. He wasn't really looking at the data, but had let his mind wander to what he would like to ask them when he met with them.

"They were remarkably easy to find," she replies. "They're all dead." Lydecker's head snapped up to see if maybe he had heard wrong or that Ryan was pulling his leg. The serious yet puzzled look on her face convinced him otherwise.

"All 20 of these women are dead?" He asks in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

"Sir I don't have those answers as of yet," she replies shifting in her chair. "They all died within a year of each other and they're all buried in the same cemetery." It was obvious that something from the Mantra Project had an effect on these women that caused their untimely deaths.

"How long have they been dead?" He asks quietly.

"About 5 year's sir," Ryan answers.

"So what can you tell me about the 25 years between the end of Project Mantra and when these women died?" He asks pulling his glasses off and rubbing his eyes. He felt an enormous headache coming on and an uneasy feeling began to claw at his stomach.

"They continued to work together and started a research foundation that explored the area of extra sensory perception," she tells him flipping papers.

"No surprise there," he mutters. "What was the foundation called and is it still in existence today?"

"The Logan Group, but it is held in trust and over seen by the Cale Foundation," Ryan says handing him a stack of papers.

Lydecker almost fell out of his seat at the name the Ryan had just spoken; there was no way that there could be two of them. That would be too much of a coincidence and he just didn't put much stock in coincidences. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart. He needed to hear what else Ryan might have to say.

"Exactly what is this Logan Group?" He asks with an outwardly calm expression.

"Logan Cale was the first child born to one of the 20, as the liked to refer to themselves," Ryan began shifting through more papers and handing another stack to the Colonel. "He was the only child born to Maureen Childers, who became Maureen Cale when she married multimillionaire Sampson Cale. The 20 wanted to continue the research that they had been apart of and Cale was very indulgent of anything that his wife desired, and with him on board she didn't have to worry about funding."

"So the group was named after her son?" Lydecker questioned not really needing an answer. "Did any of the other women have children?"

"All of them did sir," she replied. "And that brings up another oddity; they only had one child each, an even number of boys to girls."

"So Specialist, tell me with all the data you currently have, what conclusions would you draw?" Lydecker asks.

"Well sir 20 women were involved with a covert and highly classified experiment that ended due to lack of positive results. After the experiment ended instead of returning to their homes, these 20 women banded together and continued the research on their own. They each had one child and died 25 years after Mantra was disbanded, all within one year of each other," Ryan paused momentarily to take a deep breath. "I'd say sir that given all the data something went horribly wrong with project Mantra, tragically wrong."

Lydecker was nodding his head in agreement. On the surface it looked as if project had been a failure and a complete waste of time and resources that he agreed with Ryan's conclusions; but taking a step back he was able to see the much deeper picture.

"No Specialist, I'd say that something went amazingly right with project Mantra," Lydecker says jumping to his feet and rushing out of his office. Ryan at first was so startled that she continued to sit in her chair until, and then she jumped up and rushed out the door running to catch up with the Colonel.

Lydecker burst into the slick ultra modern communications room where his people could co-ordinate needs and updates on his X5's. He needed to pull them back before they completed the mission and any chance he had to interrogate Logan Cale.

"I want Alpha team pulled out immediately," he barked to the Sergeant sitting closest to the door. Sergeant Reece looked up startled at the booming voice of the Colonel and blinked a few times trying to get his bearings.

"But sir Alpha team was pulled out 2 days ago per your orders," Reece had a bad feeling clamoring in his gut for his attention. Something was off here and he had the feeling heads were about to roll.

"Sergeant, I didn't request that Alpha team be pulled out until this moment," Lydecker says in an unusually quiet voice.

"Begging all pardon sir," Reece replies pulling several sheets of paper out of an old notebook. For once he was glad that he had not destroyed the communiqué like he was ordered. He handed the papers to the Colonel and continued his recitation of the events from two days ago.

"I was ordered to have Alpha team abandon their current mission in Montana, packing all necessary equipment and travel to Billings with all possible haste. They would be briefed once they had reached Billings and where en route to the next destination and mission. Their handler would meet them on the ground in Columbia and take over the mission at that point. This was all per your orders so I was told. The mission in Columbia was to be given priority status and black out instructions."

Lydecker swore viscously, a dawning suspicion creeping up his back. Some one was issuing orders in his name and moving his kids around like pawns on a chess board. He knew his kids could take care of themselves, but he didn't like the idea of some one setting them up.

"Sergeant, who is to be their handler when the get to Columbia?" Lydecker asks already sure of the answer.

"Lieutenant Asherton, sir." Reece replies.

"Sergeant get me on a plane to Columbia and get Delta team up her and ready to go within the hour," Lydecker barks heading out of the room. "Get me all information on anything we currently have going on in Columbia, and find out who provided transport from Billings to Alpha team. Specialist Ryan, you're with me, and Sergeant Reece, take us to red."

"But sir, we've never been to red," Reece exclaimed to the Colonel's retreating back.

"There's a first time for everything Sergeant."

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"MAX!!" The name was torn from Logan's lungs, his subconscious, and his very psyche. He woke drenched in sweat, sheets tangles around his leg as the last remnants of the dream faded from his mind. He had to move, he couldn't, wouldn't sit by and let them lead her into a trap.

He managed to get his heart to slow to an almost normal rate and got up out of his bed. He dresses quickly in the dark and then strode down the hall to another room, flinging open the door. He didn't need the light; neither of them did so he didn't bother.

"Jason," he says unable to hide the urgency in his voice. He watched as his friend came instantly awake. No words needed to pass between them. Jason was up and moving with just a glance at Logan's face.

"How long?" Jason asks throwing on a pair of dark pants.

"Too long," Logan replies pulling out his cell phone. "They are trying to lead them into a trap. She's in grave danger, and I may damn well be too late."

Jason pulled out his phone as well and began to make calls to have equipment and supplies readied for their immediate departure. The two of them had always worked like a well oiled machine, each able to read the other's thoughts with little to no effort. They strode through the manor house like to silent predators, making plans to rescue a woman they really didn't know. Jason knew that it made little difference to Logan, a chance meeting and she consumed every single one of his thoughts.

"I am trying to contact Amanda to let her know that we are on our way to Columbia," Jason tells Logan as the both hop into the waiting Jeep that would take them to the helipad.

"I'm bringing in Cort and Delilah," Logan says. "There meeting us at the strip."

"Is that wise?"

"It doesn't matter. I can't risk losing her," he says in response. His gut clenches as he hears the rapid fire of automatic weapons from his dream. Logan watches in horror as his nightmare plays out in full view of his open eyes. He sees the blood blossom across her chest and knows that he is moments too late. He holds her as she takes her last breath never knowing who or what he is.

"Sucks knowing it's not really a nightmare," Jason says as the pull up to the waiting helicopter.

"You have no fucking idea," Logan replies wearily. The two of them climb aboard and nod to the pilot. Once again no words need to be exchanged and as the ground drops away from them, both men became absorbed in their own thoughts.

_Hold on Max, I'm coming. I swear by God if they hurt you I'll hunt them to the very ends of the world and into hell if I have to. Don't trust anyone, please don't trust them._

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Half a world a way, in a hot steamy jungle, Max has taken up a position in a large tree, trying to get a lay of the compound that they would need to infiltrate. She would give it a few more minutes and then she would join the others, and get some much needed sleep. She was still feeling a little unsettled about what happened back at the safe house in Montana. It wasn't like her to pass out; she had no explanation for it. She wasn't sure she wanted one.

She felt a whisper of sound against her skin, and she jerked her head up to look around. She was alone, no one and nothing around. Even the jungle creatures seemed to be staying out of her way. And then again something brushed against the inside of her mind. At first fear made her cringe away, but then curiosity grabbed hold and she approached. She felt it like a silken caress across her skin, the feel of a lover's fingertips on the back of her neck.

_Hold on Max, I'm coming. I swear by God if they hurt you I'll hunt them to the very ends of the world and into hell if I have to. Don't trust anyone, please don't trust them._

_Who the hell are you?_ Max found herself thinking it, almost saying it out loud. She shouldn't have been surprised that there was no answer. Just her mind playing tricks on her.


	5. Chapter 5: Not Quite The Perfect Solider

**A/N: Here's the next chapter and I hope you guys enjoy. The next couple of chapters after this will give quite a bit of info on what actually happened with Project Mantra and what is going on with our 2 groups. I want to thank those people that left reviews, I really appreciate them and look forward to your comments. So please leave a review.**

Chapter 5: Not Quite The Perfect Solider

Something didn't feel right. Max looked out into the inky blackness and felt the wrongness creep through her belly. Having Asherton as their handler had set all of them off from the beginning, but they were trained to roll with the punches. Looking at the large compound that they were to infiltrate just seemed to set off alarm bells all through her.

After two days and nights worth of re-con, Max had yet to see a patrol, sentry or for that matter another human being. If the place was so well fortified, where were the guards? They had found a handful of perimeter cameras, and the compound was enclosed with a ten foot link fence, but that fence was not topped with barbed wire, nor was it electrified, it didn't have a guard station at the gate where vehicles could come and go, it didn't even have a damn lock. There had been a few posted no trespassing signs, but for all intent and purposes it was like some one was going out of their way to encourage anyone to come on in for a visit.

They were suppose to go in there tonight, in one hour actually and rescue a team of researchers who had supposedly been kidnaped by a group of well funded guerillas working for one of the many crime lords of Columbia. Who this particular team of researchers were, Max had no clue and nor did she really care. Two teams of X5s had been deployed to this jungle in Columbia to attempt a rescue, so who ever they were they must be important, probably had worked Project Manticore in the past.

"Everyone in position in 15, we move in 30," Max heard Zack's voice in her ear. She was already in position, had been for the last 4 hours. She needed to get away for some time to think, she had been worried about the op, about what had happened at the safe house in Montana and the feelings that had been evoked by the voice in her mind. She wasn't suppose to worry, she was an X5; she wasn't suppose to faint either.

"Copy that Alpha leader," she replied. She took a few minutes to check her weapon as well as her back ups.

"We go radio silence in 5 and break it only in the event of an abort," he instructed the teams. Max thought he made a damn good team leader using everyone's strength to the best possible advantage, that meant he should have probably left her face down in the stairwell in Montana.

As time crept by, the feelings of something being off swamped her again. The uneasiness was causing her pulse to accelerate and her stomach to twist into knots. What the hell was wrong with her, she was an X5 and they didn't get jittery or nervous. They were solid, steady and focused on getting the job done.

Max saw Ben give her the signal that it was time for them to move. They were split into four teams of 2 each. It was her and Ben's job to get in and find the research team after Zack and Crit had caused a diversion. Zane and Brin were to hold the perimeter, while Tinga and Seth were going in as the backup team.

The two of them cleared the fence and crept towards one of only two doors; they would have preferred to use a ventilation system but there had not been any outside access. So they were going to have to make do with the door and that made Max's skin crawl, but if inside security was as lax as the outside had been, they could probably walk in and out with no one even caring.

The explosion that rocked the building was rapidly followed by another and then another. Ben nodded to her, popped the lock on the door and then slipped inside with Max on his heels. The interior hallway was brightly lit and just as deserted as the outside had been. Smoke was drifting lazily down into the hallway, as the explosions had been centered on the other side of the building. The two of them crept down the corridor, weapons at the ready.

Before they reached the end of the long hallway several armed men came around the corner. Max instantly realized that they had been expected and that the whole op had been a setup from the beginning. Ben threw her a look and she knew what he was about to do, he signaled her to double time it back down the hall while he covered her six. He was going to go down so that she could get out. Max shook head in the negative, but Ben gave her hard look and then turned towards the men still advancing on them. He brought his weapon up and began to lay down fire.

"ABORT!!" Ben yelled into the small microphones sewn in all their clothing. Max heard his voice in her ear and right in front of her. She heard the calm reassurance laced with an edge of fear. "Abort, it's a trap! Head for the evac zone!"

They were almost to the door when the men who were advancing on them opened fire. Max could tell that they were trying not to shoot them, they wanted them alive, but Ben didn't have the same compunction and neither did she. He dropped two men and then shoved her out the door; just as she was about to cover him out, he slammed the door in her face. He was sacrificing himself for her, giving them all time to get out.

"Move it Max!" Zack yelled in her ear.

"Ben is still in there!" She yelled back. "We can't leave him."

"We won't," Zack reassured her. "But right now we need to get out of here. There are soldiers crawling all over this place and we need to regroup."

Max didn't like the idea of leaving a man behind, especially Ben; but then she heard the sound of gun fire all around her and knew that she was barely going to make it out herself. She used the darkness to cover her movements as she slipped back into the jungle. She hadn't been quick enough as she heard what sounded like a small army pursuing her into the dense foliage. She realized that this op had not only been a trap, but the objective had been to capture the X5s alive and unharmed if possible.

She heard them screaming at her to stop or they would be force to shoot her; it made her run faster. But there were so many of them that when she managed to evade one group she just ran into another. Max heard the sound of gunfire behind her and then a split second later felt the first bullet slam into her side, followed by another in her back and yet another in her leg. The force of the impacts sent her flying through the air and then the ground rushed up ant met her. The breath was forcibly knocked from her lungs as she impacted the earth and pain seared through her body as it absorbed the shock from the bullets. Max laid there for a moment, she really didn't have much of a choice. Pain ripped through her and she realized that she was not going to be able to get out of this one. Her body was badly injured and wouldn't respond to her commands to get up and move. It was only going to be a matter of moments before those buffoons stumbled upon her and carried her back to their compound.

She still held her weapon at the ready in her hands, but she was already having a problem fighting back the darkness that was threatening to take hold of her. She wasn't going to be able to put up much a fight and that really galled her, she had known it was a trap. Her earpiece must had been damaged in the fall because all she heard from it was static, that left her with no idea of how the rest of the team was faring.

Then she heard the rustling of the undergrowth that alerted her that the bastards had arrived. They knew that she had been hit and that she had gone down, they were taking there time trying to find her in case she was not all that injured. They were growing closer and her breathing was growing more labored, her vision blurred and grey and she silently cursed. She didn't want to lose consciousness, she wouldn't allow it. She focused all her will on staying awake and alert. Then her ears picked up movement coming at her from the other direction, away from the compound; they were boxing her in.

She heard an inhuman scream split the night, and then it was cut off abruptly. It was followed closely by another and a frisson of fear snaked through her stomach. Her brothers and sisters were in trouble and all she was doing was lying there bleeding on the greenery; she had to get up and move. Then the ground was shaken by a large rumbling that sent vibrations through the earth and she saw a large geyser of dirt spew into the air. Mixed in with the dirt and trees were men as they were flung around like little rag dolls. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, maybe she had lost so much blood she was becoming delusional, having some very real hallucinations.

There were more screams that pierced the darkness, and all she could do was lay there. Maybe if she kept real quiet they would miss her and her team would eventually find her. But she was in a lot of pain and she didn't think she would still be alive once they were able to look for her. She needed to move and move now. Max gathered her energy and tried to sit up, the pain and dizziness that ripped through her brought an unbidden cry to her lips. She sank back into the earth, she wasn't going anywhere, not on her own. Ben had sacrificed himself for nothing.

Once again she heard the rustle of the undergrowth, but this time she saw the figures materialize out of the night. As they drew closer she tried to shrink into herself hoping they would miss her and move on, she should have known better. Their eyes were locked onto her and as they drew closer they smiled. It was a smile filled with gratefulness and desperation, their smiles confused her. Shouldn't they be gloating and condescending?

The pair stopped and then one of them moved forward while the other maintained his distance, neither held a weapon. The one walking slowly toward her was tall, he was dressed in a black shirt that was stretched tight over his chest and shoulders. His legs were encased in loose fitting black pants and dull black boots came up to about mid shin. She couldn't tell what color his hair was at it was streaked liberally with some black substance. The same substance covered his face and hands and all she could see was the crystal clear blue of his eyes. It was looking into his eyes that once again had the air leaving her body. It rushed out of her and although she was laying on the ground she felt light headed and dizzy. As she continued to stare into those blue eyes, warmth spread from her chest into her belly and then pooled somewhere lower. She felt hot and a strong desire to feel his skin on hers. She was dying in a remote jungle in Columbia, but the only thing on her mind was getting it on with the man in front of her.

_Max. _That single word, her name came flittering across her brain and skin like the lover's caress from just last night. It relaxed and reassured her all at once, it also made her feel things she had never felt; never wanted to feel. After a few silent moments it dawned on her that she could hear him, hear his thoughts inside her head, in her blood. Oh damn this was so not good.

_Who are you? _She asked as the blackness finally won and sucked her down.

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Logan had went damn near crazy when he heard the gunfire erupt in the darkness. The vision he had played across his mind, and it took everything Jason had to hold him back, to keep him from charging off to find Max. Jason yelled at him that he needed to keep a level head and that he had to open himself up to her so that they could find her, find her before it was too late. Logan had nodded, but it was still with a great deal of reluctance that Jason let him go.

But they had found her and dealt with the men trying to either kill her or capture her. Logan had used a lot of energy dealing with those men, but he realized that he would have done anything for Max, and that was really beginning to scare him. He had to put up shields as he drew closer to her, and when his shields hadn't been enough he had to ask Jason for help. It was something that scared them both. Looking at her lying on the ground covered in her blood, made his own blood boil and rage rush through his body.

_Are you alright? _He heard the thought smoothly in his head. He turned to see Jason watching him with a mixture of concern and fear All Logan could do was shake his head. He knelt down next to Max and ran his hand along her cheek. Just that simple contact had fire racing through his body and an overwhelming desire to scoop her up and never let go. Desire swept through and he knew there was nothing he could do to stop, he didn't want to stop it; eventually they would come together, neither of them had a choice.

_We need to tend to her so that we can get out of her. _Jason came closer opening the small pack that had been strapped to his back. When he went to lift up her shirt to access the damage, Logan snarled at him and grabbed his wrist with the intention of breaking it.

_Logan I need to see how bad the damage is. You need to let me do this and know that I'm not trying to infringe in any way here._ Jason's voice was soothing and unthreatening. It took Logan a few minutes to clear the desire to kill his best friend and back off enough for him to treat Max.

_Don't apologize. I know it's hard and we'll all get a good dose of what your going through, although let me be the one to say I'd just as soon not. _Jason placed pressure bandages over the bullet wounds, started an iv securing it to Max's chest. He gave her shot of morphine to stave off the pain should she regain consciousness and checked to make sure that there were no broken bones.

_That's the best I can do here; let's move. _He stepped out of the way so that Logan could life Max into his arm. Logan felt as if his heart was being ripped out of his chest as he cradled Max's slight frame in his arms. She seemed so small and fragile, but a voice in the back of his mind told him to remember that she could probably take him in a fight.

_The other X5s? _Jason asked him as the two of them moved through the jungle to reunite with their own team.

_They've gone to ground. You know they will come after her and the one who is trapped in there. We will help them if we can, but I'm not letting her go; I won't be parted from her._

_She may want differently. _Jason said not looking at his friend. They all depended on Logan, he was after all the strongest of all of them, his talents more varied and developed, but to see him now shook Jason.

_It won't matter. _Logan replied holding her closer. _Let Amanda know we're on our way and we have a X5 that needs immediate medical attention. These bastards better hope like hell she doesn't die._

Jason was praying that she didn't die. He knew Logan would go mad and destroy everything in his path, including his family to get to the people who may have taken Max from him.


	6. Chapter 6: Mantra Meet Manticore

**A/N: Hey everyone. This chapter rambles a little, but it sets up the next chapter quite well, at least I hope so. I want to thank you those who left a review, I greatly appreciate them, and not to mention I look forward to them.**

Chapter 6: Mantra meet Manticore

Max was floating. There was no other way to describe the euphoric feeling pulsing through her. Her brain felt like it was covered in a blanket and she couldn't move her arms and legs. The feeling was not unpleasant, just one she wasn't use to it. She tried to remember what had happened to bring on these feelings, but for some reason she continued to draw a blank.

She tried to open her eyes; at first nothing seemed to happen and then gradually she began to see hazy shapes. The effort caused her head to spin dizzily, and as the light stabbed into her brain, she felt that it was prudent to keep them tightly shut. The smells that invaded her senses seemed to be medicinal in nature and led her to believe that she was in the infirmary. Why would she need to be in the infirmary? Was she sick; why couldn't she remember?

Max let her mind drift and heard muffled voices coming from somewhere close by. Maybe it was her brothers and sisters coming to check on her. No the voices were ones she'd never heard before. She tried not to panic, but it was close to becoming a losing battle, she didn't know where she was and she wasn't sure what had happened to her.

She focused her mind and beat back the fog that was enveloping it, and on the heels of that blanket receding came the rush of pain. She felt a fire in her leg and side, but the stabbing throb in her back robbed her of the ability to think. Max took in a few shallows breath and wished like hell that she hadn't even tried to breathe. It felt like some one was trying to rip her apart from the inside.

She tried to move her arms and found that they felt weighted down, the same thing happened when she tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed. Looking down at herself, she saw the metal restraints clasped to her wrist and ankles. Some one wanted to be sure that she didn't go anywhere without their permission first.

"I should have known that you'd wake up sooner rather than later," said a soothing, musical voice. Max opened her eyes and took in the woman standing at the foot of the bed making notes in a chart. She was beautiful in an ethereal way, tall and willowy with long blond hair that feel nearly to her waist. Her skin was pale with just a hint of rose. Her face was like that of an angel and she had beautiful whiskey colored eyes. There were a thousand questions that raced through Max's mind, but all her training had her clenching her jaw so as not to give voice to any of them.

_Would you feel better if we communicated this way? _The voice was amused now, and Max's head snapped around to pin the woman with a hard stare.

"I guess not," she replied watching Max.

"Where am I?" Max asked in a flat dangerous voice.

"You're in my research facility located in a remote part of a remote jungle in Columbia," the woman said moving around and checking the machinery that was monitoring Max's vitals

At the mention of Columbia, memories rushed back and flooded through Max. They had been on an op that had gone wrong, one in which they were the targets. It had been a trap and Max had tried to get away, obviously she had failed at that.

"Wrong group of people," the voice said seeing the realization dawn in Max's eyes. "I'm on the side that kept you from being captured." Max highly disbelieved that statement, after all she was restrained.

"We respect Manticore technology and are not stupid enough to believe that we could go toe to toe with you and hope to win, so the restraints keep the odds even."

"I'm sure you believe that. Ben, what have you bastards done to Ben?" Max asked as the red flare of anger seared through her. Her brother had risked himself so that she could get away and yet she had still been captured. The thought made bile rise up in her throat and she wanted nothing more than to wrap her hands around this woman's throat and squeeze.

"We don't have Ben," the woman replied in a voice strained with some emotion that Max was not quite sure of. "But we have every intention of helping to retrieve him, he can't be allowed to remain in enemy hands for long."

"You mentioned Manticore," Max said kicking herself for being just a step behind in the conversation.

"I think this is where I come in and answer your questions." Max knew that voice. She had heard it in her head, along her nerve endings, in the very depth of her psyche.

She looked at the door and saw blue eyes that robbed her of the ability to think rationally. The hot desire that flared through her body overshadowed the pain that had been racing through her. She wanted to touch him, his face, hair any part of him that she could get her hands on. Max wanted to feel his lips against her flesh and she wished to take the time to explore every inch of him. What the hell was the matter with her? She was a prisoner and she wanted to get naked and dirty with one of her captors.

_Interesting thoughts, but not right now. I would think you're in too much pain for that, but don't doubt that it will happen. I promise you it will happen._

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" The woman asked him, placing a light hand on his arm. Something hot and primitive slithered through Max and she strained at the restrains holding her wrist. She wanted to rip the woman's hand from his body and then proceed to beat the shit out of her.

"You could always sedate me," he said to her with a smile.

"I'd be afraid that it would kill you," she replied with a light laugh. "The amount of sedation needed to turn off your mind would probably stop your heart."

"Then I think for the sake of my continued existence, we should hold off on any tranquilizers," he replied with an answering smile. Max was now contemplating a double homicide, all she needed was on hand free and there would be nothing to save either one of them. "I think it's safe for you to go Amanda. Jason needs your help, plus X5-452 and I need to have a little talk."

Amanda looked from Logan to Max and thought talking wasn't what they really needed. Sure there was information that they needed to share, but she knew that neither of them would feel any relief, or sanity until the managed to get skin on skin. Damn scientist always find a way to fuck up a good thing. She gave his hand a small reassuring squeeze and walked quietly out the room.

Logan walked closer to the bed and sat in the only chair the room had to offer, his eyes never left Max's face and the raging lust that screamed through him almost had him ditching the chair and crawling into that bed with her. He was sure that would go over well.

"I know you," Max said getting a good look at his face for the first. "You're the target, Logan Cale, cyber-journalist pain in the ass."

"Well that is an apt description," he said with a smile. "Actually Max, you were the target."

"I'm not talking about this op gone bad," she replied with a sneer.

"Oh so you're talking about the Montana op gone bad, or maybe the Seattle one," he said with just hint of amusement. The scathing look on her face was enough to make him chuckle.

"What are you going to do with us?" She asked. She knew that she should remain silent, offering them no chances to get any information out of her, but she needed to know that Ben was alright and find out all she could so she'd be able to come up with a plan of attack and escape. She didn't admit to the fact that the man sitting near her made her nervous, hot, sweaty and damn it all to hell.

"There is no us," Logan replied enjoying her discomfort just a little. He was glad that some one else was feeling what he had been feeling for months, it meant that relief would be coming soon. "Amanda told you the truth, we don't have Ben, but we're working on that right now. We expect that the other members of your team will try to come for you first. They know that Ben was captured in an op that was set up as a trap, you they have no clue about. You'd be the one they felt they'd have to rescue first."

"What are you, like some underground para-military group?" Max asked. Logan decided it was finally time to stop dancing around the issues and talk. Manticore meet Mantra.

"No, I'm the result of a highly classified, secret military experiment gone right," he replied. The look of absolute shock on her face was priceless; it was immediately followed by one of anger and then suspicion.

"I realize that you have a lot more information than you should," Max began. "But you don't know everything and I'm not going to fill in the blanks for you.

"Sweetheart if you take a moment and stop being so frustrating I'll explain it all to you," he replied placing a light hand on her leg.

The jolt that sizzled through both of them was almost unbearable. Logan felt the blood boil in his veins and no matter how much willpower he tried to gather, he moved the sheet covering her and touched her skin to skin. Max damn near whimpered when she felt his hand on her bare leg; it wasn't enough, she _needed _more. She wanted him, naked, hot and fast. When he pulled his hand away, her eyes shot to his face. She noted that it looked like he was fighting an internal battle, and it did her heart good to know he was losing.

"We can't do this now," he stated in a strained voice.

"But I want to do this now," she replied feeling no compunction to hide her desire for him. She had no idea where it was coming from, she just knew that she didn't wish to deny it.

"Maybe, but you need the whole story before I will allow myself to do that to you," he said staring hard into her eyes. "You'll make the decision to let me touch you intimately only after you have had full disclosure."

Max looked at him and knew that he was feeling the same things that were coursing through her. She applauded his self control and restraint, because she knew that the only thing keeping her from jumping him was the metal encasing her hands and legs. She could honestly say the 3 bullet wounds in her wouldn't come close to stopping her.

"If you promise not to try and kill me, I'll release those restraints and move the bed up," he said. Max merely nodded and when that didn't seem to be enough for him, she gave him her word. She saw him incline his head slightly and then she heard the soft click as the restraints opened; at the same time the bed began a slow incline until she was in a reclined sitting position.

"Must be nice to have everything on remote," she said watching him warily. He hadn't moved, there was nothing in his hands, no magic remote and no one standing in the doorway operating panels that she couldn't see.

"If that's what you want to believe," he answered her smiling. _But we both know that you are smarter than that._

Max felt the thought slide through her, along her skin and she trembled from the invisible contact. She hadn't felt the same thing when she'd heard Amanda's voice in her head, that time had been simple communication. But now, now she felt like she was diving head first into the deep end of the pool, and she didn't know how to swim.

"How do you do that?" She asked refusing to use this silent communication he seemed adept at.

_It's the way I was born Max, kinda like the way you were born_

"So you're going to tell me you were cooked up in a test tube?" She asked derisively. "And can we use the standard form of communication?"

"Sure, why use advanced methods when the primitive is so much more convenient," he quipped. Logan took a good look at her, he saw the clenched jaw, the shadow of pain in her eyes and the rigid way she was holding her body. She was hurting and she was to damn stubborn to say anything, she'd sit there all night and keep right on hurting if he let her.

"How about we make a deal?" he said standing and coming a little closer. "I'll get Amanda to come back in here and give you something for the pain, and then we'll continue this conversation the next time you surface." Max didn't want to loose any time while drifting in that pleasant euphoric feeling. She may have been in some considerable pain, but she still had a job to do.

"You need to heal Max," he said, almost as if he could read her thoughts. He probably could she decided. "You aren't going to be able to get out of that bed, slip pass us and go off and rescue your brother until you've given your body a chance to heal the damage that was done to it. And just so you know, the bullet that entered your leg shattered the bone, so it's going to take a little while for even Manticore technology to heal that. You got grazed from the bullet that hit your side, and the one that entered your back did damage to one of your kidneys. You're healing nicely but you still need some rest."

She knew he was right, she didn't want to admit it, but there it was. She nodded her headed giving in to letting him have his way. He tilted his head to the side, almost like he was listening to something, and after a few minutes her went to a locked cabinet, took out a filled syringe and came back to the bed. He administered the pain mediation directly into the iv, and almost immediately the pain began to recede.

"Just one thing before you go," sh said her voice slurred from the drug.

"Anything for you Max," he whispered.

"Why do I want to tear your clothes off and have my way with you?" She asked. She didn't miss the heat that flared in his eyes, or the hard swallow that made his adam's apple bob.

"It's called pheromones," he replied. "Some one has manipulated our personal pheromones so that we respond to each other. That we have a desire to touch, to try and get as far into the other as we can, so that we'd take every opportunity to get naked and fuck like rabbits."

"To what end?" She asked confused.

"What is the end result when two people take every moment to have uninhibited sex?" He asked her. He found the blank look on her face to be quite endearing, absolutely adorable.

"Let me help you out here," he said getting close and whispering into her ear. "Some one wants us to have a baby."

The dumbfounded look on her face gave way to bafflement, then slowly to dawning understanding. She felt his lips brush the shell of her ear, and she let out a startled moan. With the heating rushing through her body, she thought that a baby wouldn't be so bad if she could spend the next few years fucking like rabbits with him.


	7. Chapter 7:  Touch Me

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took a little while to get out to you guys. I've been really busy and just didn't have as much time to work on this as I usually do. Another huge thank you for the reviews, they help me forge ahead and they are greatly appreciated. We are going to see some action over the next couple of chapters and maybe Max and Logan can finally get some action of their own. So happy reading, and please hit that purple button on your way out.**

Chapter 7: Touch Me

Max knew the instant Logan walked into the room. Her stomach muscles clenched and heat began to suffuse every cell of her body. A insistent throbbing began to drum between her thighs and she had an overwhelming urge to run her hands all over him. Who needed pain medication, just bottle the feelings he invoked with in her and she'd happily conquer the world, or fuck the hell out of him for days.

"God damn it!" She exclaimed, her eyes flying open and meeting his amused gaze.

"That's one way to put it," he said as he sauntered into the room. She still looked to pale to his discerning eyes, and he hated the way she trembled, he wasn't sure if it was because of her injuries or him; he wanted it to be him.

"Why do I have an overpowering urge to taste you?" She asked with something close to desperation in her voice.

He watched her with clear blue eyes, pulse steady, heart beating slowly; he made sure he had her undivided attention and stepped closer taking a deep breath. Her scent pummeled his senses, embedded into the very cells of his body; Max watched fascinated as his pupils dilated and his body began to tremble. She could see naked desire racing across his face, his hands became restless as they fiddled with things in his pockets. She watched as a light sheen of sweat appeared on his neck and she saw the muscle in his jaw clench as he fought for control.

"You're not the only one Max," he said in a voice fraught with lust and the steel it was taking for him to not simply ravish her.

"I want this to end," she replies feeling anger for both of them. "Will it end if we just give in?" She desperately needed to hear him say yes. She wasn't sure if that meant she would, if she would let him touch her and if she'd touch him back, but at least she knew that it would be over.

"It will diminish some, but it will never end," he replied sitting in the chair. "We are complete aware of each other on a hormonal level, and our scents are the trigger to a maddening desire. Even when you're not actually around I thought about you, dreamed about you and desired you like mad. I _need _you Max."

"Then what the hell are you waiting for?" She asked. Max felt the same way he did. Her body wasn't willing to accept no as an answer again, it thrummed with heat just from him sitting close to her. God only knew what would happen if the man placed his hands on her, she'd probably spontaneously combust.

"I told you that before we went any further I'd give you full disclosure," he said shifting in his chair. "If we give in, we give in for life. I already can't stand the idea of another person touching you. I almost broke my best friend's wrist when he tried to treat you, and I've killed just because you were in danger."

Max thought back to when Amanda had lightly touched his arm, she had wanted to hurt, maim, kill the woman, and she was positive that the only thing that had stopped her were two metal restraints on her wrist. She allowed herself to think about some one doing him harm, him being in danger, and the emotions that swamped her were red hot and murderous. Oh shit, she was in deep and had no idea how to get out.

"You've killed for me?" She asked in a small voice. For some reason this man killing for her struck her very deeply in her core. She could tell he abhorred violence, and for him to have done violence to another living creature was the ultimate in sacrifices for him.

"It's not something I'm proud of," he said barely meeting her eyes. "Yet the thought of anything happening to you turns my blood to ice, I lose the ability of rational thought and go on pure instincts. My instincts demand that I protect you, regardless of the fact that you can more than take care of yourself. I can't fight it, I can't stop myself and it's driving me towards a brink I've never faced before."

"When, when did you do this?" Max asked. She wasn't sure why she wanted to know, why she needed to know, for some reason it made her feel something she couldn't describe to know that this man was willing to kill for him.

"In Montana," he replied. "You don't really think men just fly into trees of the own accord do you, or that healthy mercenaries drop to the ground and have seizures."

"That was you?" She asked in disbelief. "I can see you throwing a guy into a tree head first, even though I didn't _see _it, but you can't just make a man fall twitching to the ground."

"I can if I cause a blood vessel in his brain to explode," he said it so quietly that she had to strain to hear him, to understand him. Logan watched her as she processed the words he had spoken, understanding dawning slowly. She still didn't understand what the words meant, just what he said.

"You didn't physically pick the other guy up and throw him, did you?" She asked as realization of what he was suggesting began to creep into her brain. Shivers ran up and down her arms at the possibility of some one being capable of what he was implying.

"No Max, I never physically put my hands on either of those men," he replied wearily. "Or the ones in the jungle who took flying lessons when the ground erupted."

"Tell me, full disclosure," she demanded. "I need to hear it all."

"Alright," he said shaking his head. She was ready, they both were and once he took them down this path there would be no turning back, no pretending like it didn't exist.

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Lydecker stood in front of a large hole in the ground contemplating what might have happened to cause this kind of damage to the earth. In the light of day he could see that the hole was massive, huge amounts of dirt had been flung into the air, with several large trees, brush and rocks. He imagined at some point there may have been bodies, bodies that had been removed by some one else during the cover of darkness.

He walked back to where one of his kids had found blood soaked into the earth. He was waiting to find out whose blood it was; was it one of his kids or one of their enemies. He had tracking devices on all of his soldiers, and even now they were being extracted by their 'brothers and sisters'. He knew after the events of the last couple of days, they wouldn't trust just anyone in command. He taught them to be smart, that questioning orders didn't make them insubordinate or disobedient, it made them more able to survive.

Not only did he want to round up his X5s, but he wanted to get his hands on Asherton, the man was a traitor, he placed highly sensitive government material in danger. Lydecker had no plans to court martial him, once he got his hands on him, he'd either kill him hisself or turn him over to his kids. They'd gladly rip him to pieces.

"Sir," he heard the voice behind him; it didn't startle him as it would have some others, he had grown use to the stealthy silence of his kids.

"Report," he replied simply, no sense dragging things out; his kids were still in danger and he wouldn't rest until they were all accounted for.

"Six of the eight have been secured and are now being treated and debriefed," X5- 497 stated. "X5-599 has explained that he is sure that X5-493 was captured during the aborted mission. X5-493 and X5-452 are the two still unaccounted for, and the blood belongs to X5-452. There is still no sign of Lt. Asherton and it is the belief of X5-599 that he is holed up in the compound where X5-493 is being held."

Lydecker silently dismissed the soldier. He rubbed the back of his neck knowing that he wouldn't be able to alleviate the headache that was already pounding behind his eyes. Max had been bleeding, and by the looks of the stains in the dirt, she had lost a lot of blood, but where was she? The tracking device was erratic at best, going out for long periods of time, almost as if it was being blocked some how.

They'd have to go after her first, she was in an unknown situation, not that Ben's was any better, but at least they knew where he was and that he was most probably alive. Max was in the wind, she was hurt and that was an unacceptable situation. Her siblings would be tended to and then they'd be deployed to search and rescue.

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"Project Manticore was originally apart of a two fold initiative to create an individual with both heightened physical and mental abilities," Logan said. Max noted that even though he looked and sounded casual, he was still very tense, still feeling the effects of being so close to her.

"Twenty young women who showed some sensitivity to extra sensory perception were recruited to become a part of a project called Project Mantra. For ten years these 20 women were experimented on in hopes that they would develop some pretty amazing abilities, but after all that time they showed no appreciable talents and the project was dissolved."

"I'm guessing that some one missed something," Max said with a smile that had Logan's heart stuttering.

"Yeah you could say that," he said with a smile of his own. "They just didn't know that they missed it, and neither did those 20 women, at first. Let me tell you a little about them before we go any further. All of them were young, intelligent college women, on the fast track mostly in science programs at some of the best universities across the country. When Project Mantra was dismantled the group jumped at the opportunity to continue the research at a facility in Seattle. They managed to get copies of most of the project documents, and several of the drugs used in the experiments. They were funded by a private group and had little to worry about as far as money was concerned."

He paused a moment tilting his head to the side as if he was listening to something. Max realized that he was communicating with someone, and after a few minutes she realized that she was correct when a tall, blond hair man walked in carrying a tray.

"Well I see our guest is awake," the man said placing the tray on the small table sitting by the bed.

"Max I'd like you to meet my best friend Jason," Logan introduced the taller man to her. Yet when Jason went to take her hand, she was surprised to see Logan place a restraining hand on Jason's shoulder and pull him back. She saw the look that passed between the two friends, realized that they also said something to each other that she couldn't hear and then Jason quietly left the room.

"I'm thinking you're going to need to work on that," she said pretty much deducing what had just happened.

"That may be the case, but right now I don't really give a rat's ass," he replied simply. "I thought you might be a little hungry and thirsty. Amanda signed off on some water, broth and jell-O; not exactly a four course meal, but you've got to start somewhere." Max scrunched up her face at the offerings, but she realized that he was right in that she'd have to start light. Once she began to eat, he continued with his story.

"While things were still progressing with Project Mantra in Seattle, Project Manticore was seeing some amazing success with embryos that caused the higher ups to revise their original game plan. It was decided to just forge ahead with the Manticore aspect and completely bury everything about Mantra, pretend like it had never existed."

"But something was about to happen," Max said. She could see it in his eyes.

"You could definitely say that," he replied shaking his head. "I was born, and right away my mother knew something was not quite right about me. I didn't cry, and she never had to wonder if I was hungry, wet, tired; I managed to communicate what I needed or wanted right away. Not verbally, just instinctively. As time went on and more of the 20 as they called themselves had babies, they realized that Mantra was indeed a success. Each one of the children born to them were of above average intelligence, way above, and possessed some level of extra sensory perception."

"What exactly are we talking here Logan, spell it out for me," Max demanded. She didn't want to assume anything, she wanted it all crystal clear.

"We can all communicate telepathically, some stronger than others," he answered for her. "After that the abilities vary from person to person and by varying degrees. Take Jason for example; all he can do is communicate telepathically, but he can do so with any person on the planet. He doesn't need to know the mind he's communicating with, and he could be half a world away, they'll still hear him a if he was standing right next to them."

"What about you?" She asked wanting to know what he was capable of. She was sure that he had a dossier somewhere on her, and she felt that before they went any further she'd like some insight into him.

"Well let's see," he said looking a little uncertain. He wasn't certain of what he was about to tell her would impress her or have her run screaming in the opposite direction. "You know I have telepathy, then there is the precognition, telekinesis and bio-kinetics."

"You can move things with your mind?" She questioned in awe.

"You would focus on that one," he said with a laugh. "Yes I can move pretty much anything with my mind, it takes a lot of energy and usually leaves me fatigued, but sometimes it's well worth it."

"And the precognition?"

"Gives me glimpses into the future, and through some very intense practice I have a bit of control over it," he explained.

"So that's how you knew we were coming," Max said looking at him speculatively. "I thought you had some one on the inside at Manticore."

"Well we do have some one on the inside, but to be honest Max, I've known you were coming for years," he said. "I've had dreams and visions of the X5s since I was a kid, many of us have."

"How many of you are there?" She asked growing curious about this secondary group. These people were meant to be tied to Manticore from the beginning, but had fallen off the radar; until now.

"There are 20 of us," he replied watching her reaction.

"Just like there were 20 in the original project," she said. "Why is that?"

"They never found the answer to that question. My parents tried for another child, but were never successful, and neither were any of the other women," he stated. "We were all trained vigorously in controlling our abilities, and working with each other. We were also taught everything that the 20 knew about Project Manticore; they felt it was necessary since we were intrinsically tied together. The hope was that one day we'd be able to break you all out from under Manticore."

"I'm sure there was more to it," she said studying him. She had known him for only a couple of days, yet she could already tell he was holding something back. "What are you not telling me."

"I want you to understand that I love my mother, I loved all the women in the 20, but I accept that they were very much still scientist at heart," he said looking just a little sick.

"They wanted to see the final results of the combined project," Max said taking a stab in the dark.

"Yeah, and if it wasn't for that, we would be dealing with this right now," he replied placing his hand on her bare arm. When Max felt the jolt of sexual tension leap through her body at his casual contact she reached over, pulled him out of the chair and onto the bed with her.

"Max..." He said in a strangled whisper.

"I just need a little taste," she replied pulling him down to her mouth. A little taste wasn't going to do it, Max decided when her lips met his. He tasted like a good, mellow wine with just a hint of chocolate. It was heady and sent a one, two punch right to her solar plexus, and she completely forgot how to breath when Logan began to nibble along her jaw line.

"God, I'm going to need more than a taste," she breathed.

The scent of him enveloped her senses and sent them into overdrive. She wanted him, now and deep. She clawed at his shirt and realized that he already had the back of the gown she was wearing open. The feel of his bare hands on her flesh brought a deep moan from her.

"We need to finish this discussion," he said while gently biting the lobe of ear.

"Late, much later," Max replied, her nails raking across his back. She felt him stiffen and pull away from her. She saw that he had a far away look in his eyes and after a moment he seemed to come back to his senses and pushed himself off the bed while covering her at the same time.

"It seems Max that the cavalry has arrived," Logan said grabbing his shirt and striding from the room. It wasn't lost on Max that the door slid close behind him and the faint click of locks engaging.


	8. Chapter 8: We All Get By

**A/N: This chapter is a little longer than the others, but it may be a while before I can post again. Crazy things going on at work and I'm not sure when I will get some free time, hopefully it won't be too long. I have to say that you guys really amazed me with your reviews for the last chapter. THANK YOU!! I loved all the feedback, and am more than delighted that you guys are really enjoying this story. There are a lot of surprises coming for our friends from Manticore, and it might be more than they can deal with. Please continue to let me know what you think, it helps motivate me.**

Chapter 8: We All Get By...

Max was worried and she hated herself for it. She was concerned about what was happening and trying to decipher Logan's last cryptic statement about the calvary arriving. Did he mean that the rest of his friends were there, or that her brothers and sisters had come to get her? The thought of her siblings going up against the children of project Mantra chilled her blood, and had terrifying images running through her head.

She needed to get up and find out what was going on, even if it killed her. She removed the iv from her arm and prepared to shift her battered body into an upright position. Pain ripped through her as she sat up, and she could feel the sting of tears behind her closed eyes. Max reached down deep, pushed through the worse of the pain, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She stood up slowly, placing most of her weight on her left leg and hoped that the right one didn't crumble from underneath her. She tried to convince herself that the churning in her belly was not the meager meal she had consumed coming back for a repeat performance, or that the room spinning crazily bothered her in the slightest.

The best thing for all parties involved, was for her to keep absolutely still, it would all pass in a minute, or two, or maybe a few hours; just as long as she didn't move. And that was how Jason found her. Eyes squeezed tightly shut, clutching the bed rail, pale and trembling. He rushed over to her and gently eased her back into the bed. He knew it must have been bad, because she didn't put up a fight, nor did she open her eyes for several minutes.

"I'd have been alright in a couple of minutes," she said looking at him.

"Sure you would have," he said staring down at her. She was still terribly pale and shaking from the effort to get out of the bed. He walked over to the cabinet to grab a syringe and pain medication, but when he approached her, she shook her head.

"Not til you tell me what is going on," she said staring hard at him. "Where is Logan?"

"He's resting," he replied simply.

He didn't want to tell her that Logan was passed out cold in another room, and that Amanda was fretting that he may have pushed himself to hard. Jason could tell by the look that she was giving him that his answer was insufficient, but there was very little she could do to make him give her the answers she wanted. She was damn near passed out herself; he was sure the only thing keeping her conscious was finding out about Logan.

"Why is Logan _resting_?" She asked. Logan didn't strike her as the type of individual who rested often, he exuded a restless sort of energy that seemed to require him to be in constant motion.

"Ten X5s is a lot for anyone to handle, including six Mantra graduates," he replied a little sarcastically. Jason decided that he didn't wish to have this conversation standing up so he sat down gingerly in the chair by Max's bed. He really didn't want to have this conversation at all and if Logan found out there would be hell to pay, but they needed Max's help in dealing with her siblings.

"They're here!" She damn near shouted. Jason held up his hand as her voice pierced through his aching brain. She didn't understand the kind of fatigue they suffered after using their enhanced abilities, and right now the slightest thing set off the cannons in his head.

"What have you'll done to them?" She snarled while struggling against the pain to sit up. Visions of what Logan had done in both Montana and Columbia flooded her brain, and caused the breath in her lungs to hitch.

"We haven't done anything to them, except keep them out of the compound for now," Jason replied weariness evident in his voice. "Your precious siblings are fine."

"Tell me what happened," she demanded. "Please," she added softly.

"They tracked you using the homing device that is implanted near your hip," he replied. "We couldn't shield the signal completely, so it was only a matter of time before they found you."

"But you knew they were coming," she said.

"Of course we knew they were coming, but we couldn't move yet," he said looking at her pointedly.

"I'm in no condition for you guys to move," she acknowledged. "You could have just left me."

"Yeah, I can just see Logan agreeing to that," he said with more than a touch of sarcasm. "You aren't the only reason we haven't left yet; even now that Manticore is trying to knock down the door we're still here."

"Then why are you'll not packing even as we speak?" She asked feeling a little exasperated with the pace of the conversation.

"Amanda won't go and Logan won't leave without her," Jason replied as if that explained everything.

"But he could make her leave," she said not understanding. Jason chuckled and figured he would have to clue her in on a few things that Logan must have left out.

"Amanda could make Logan forget that he even has enhanced abilities," Jason said waiting for his words to sink in. When Max still looked perplexed he continued. "She has the ability to alter other's memories. She could make him forget his name if she wanted to, at least for a limited amount of time."

"So why is she putting up a fight about leaving, especially if it would be in the best interest of all those involved?" Max asked. She wanted to know what was motivating the other woman to stay in the jungles of Columbia when there was a determined group of X5s at her gates.

"Amanda won't leave without Ben," Jason answered.

"Without Ben," Max parroted looking perplexed. "But she doesn't even know Ben, she's never met him."

"She didn't have to," he said looking at her meaningfully. He watched as the thoughts raced through her head, as she tried to puzzle out what could make Ben important enough to have Amanda balk at what Logan wanted.

"Logan must not have explained everything to you," Jason said interrupting her thoughts.

"We got interrupted before he covered all the pertinent facts," she said thinking back to their kiss and then him locking her in the room. She wanted to be furious with him about that, but looking back she realized that if their positions had been reversed, she'd have done the same thing.

"What happens whenever you get around each other, isn't limited to just the two of you," Jason explained. "Remember that at the heart of it all we're just an ongoing science project, and scientist are nothing if not curious and thorough. Logan's mother was pretty sure that the higher ups involved in Project Manticore were going to infuse the DNA of any embryos with heightened pheromones. It was an original part of the manifest for both programs, she was able to take it one step further."

"She was able to map out the gene sequence for pheromone recognition and to code it to the particular DNA of the individual. She then replicated the sequences used on the Manticore embryos and was able to attach it to each one of the children born to the 20 women from Mantra. She basically made it so that each one of us was pheromonally linked to a member of your X5 group."

"It's triggered by scent, and as you know it causes uncontrollable lust, desire for physical contact, copulation and a host of other little side effects."

"She could smell Ben on me," Max said as understanding dawned in her dark eyes.

"Yeah, and it would seem that those two are linked if Amanda's behavior is any indication," Jason replied in a mournful tone. "Each one of us is linked with one of you X5s, it was how they ensured the final phase of the project."

"Mixing the physically enhanced with the mentally enhanced to create the perfect weapon," Max stated.

"Not quite," Jason replied shaking his head. "That might have been what the higher ups wanted originally, but the 20 wanted to give us an added incentive to help free you all from the clutches of Manticore."

"I'm not sure I understand," Max said looking at him perplexed.

"Basically they felt that you all were never given a choice," he explained. "That you would be exploited by Manticore and the government for their ends, without ever being able to say; no I don't want to be a part of this. You probably have never thought about doing anything else, being anything else."

"It's a gilded cage Max, but it's still a cage," he said vehemently. "What do you suppose would happen if you packed a bag and told your commanding officer you were leaving to become a bike messenger?"

She knew they'd never be allowed to leave. There was no free time for an X5, time where they could go out and do the things that everyday people did. Shit, she didn't even know what everyday people did. Max realized that she didn't make any decisions, she never had, they were all made for her. She looked at Jason helplessly and feeling a little confused.

"Max, I don't mean to upset you, or throw you off balance," he replied seeing the emotions swirling just beneath the surface. "We want to help even out the balance for you and the other X5s, but right now I need your help."

"What do you need my help with?" She asked a little warily.

"Amanda won't go without Ben, and right now we are down a biggest weapon. We can't go in and get him out by ourselves, and neither can those X5s camped on our doorstep. We need each other's help, but your sides not really willing to listen or talk."

"You want me to go out there and talk to them?" She asked him incredulously. She could barely stand with shaking like a leaf, just the thought alone made her stomach do somersaults.

"Max if I let you outside this room much less outside the compound, Logan would tear me to pieces," Jason said with a sick smile. "We're willing to work the X5s to get Ben out, in actuality this is what we were all made to do, work together as a unit."

Max had to admit that she would love to see these people in action, what they could so bordered on the amazing. She didn't realize that the same held true for them, that they thought the X5s were pretty much out of this world.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked.

"They won't listen to us, they won't even acknowledge us," he said. "But they'll talk to you. They _want _to talk to you. Convince one of them to come within the compound, to see that you're alright, and give us an opportunity to offer our help."

"But you just said you wouldn't let me out of here," she replied. "How am I suppose to talk to them."

Jason chuckled softly. "Max, I can link to anyone that you choose, you'll be able to talk directly to that person through me, and no one else will be the wiser."

"You can do that?" She asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I can do that," he said with a genuine smile. "Just pick who you want, tell me his name and we can get started."

"X5-599," Max replied with no hesitation. "Do you need a description or something."

"No, but would ne feel better if I called him X5-599 or Zack?" Jason asked baiting her a little.

"I don't even want to know how you know that," she said. Max watched as his eyes lost a little of their focus and his body went slack. She thought that for all their amazing ability, they seemed a little defenseless when they engaged them.

_Max, are you ready?_

She felt a little strange every time she heard one of their voices in her head, she could just not get use to it.

_Yes_

_We are connected. He doesn't know I'm here, but once you start thinking towards him, he'll be able to hear you._

_Zack?_

_Max!! What the fuck?_

_It's alright Zack._

_Have they hurt you? How do we get in, we need to get you out, but we can't get in._

_Zack, they haven't hurt me, and they want your help. They want to help us get Ben out._

_Max..._

_You have to trust me on this one Zack. They won't hurt us, please believe me. Jason says they will let you in, just you. No weapons, no tricks._

_You want me to come into enemy territory unarmed? There's no way in hell I'm coming in there unarmed._

_Then damn it you won't be coming in at all. Zack, they are more than you can imagine. I'll explain it all when you get in here. Please just come to the gate; Cort will meet you and bring you right to me. I promise you it will be alright._

_Only for you Max, only for you._

Max felt the connection between her and Zack dissipate, and then snap altogether. She watched as Jason slumped further in the chair, his breathing heavy and labored.

"Are you alright?" She asked concerned for him.

"I will be in a minute," he replied. Max watched as the color slowly returned to his face, and his breathing return to a normal pattern. She watched as he got up on shaky legs, and went to the cabinet to grab a bottle of aspirin. He knocked back a small handful, then turned his attention back to her.

"Do you want something to take the edge off that pain?" He asked.

"I don't want to be knocked out when you bring Zack here," she replied.

"Nothing too strong, just a little something to help push the pain to the back," he said handing her a small cup of water and two blue pills. "I promise it won't make you woozy."

Max took the water and pills quickly before she changed her mind. The pain was making it hard for her to focus on anything, and she wanted a clear head to deal with the battle that was coming. At least she didn't have to worry about Zack coming face to face with Logan, that would be an event of disastrous proportions.

"Max, are you..." Zack stopped dead in the doorway to the room he had been led to. Seeing Max laying in the bed looking small and fragile did something to him he wasn't sure he'd ever recover from.

"Zack, I'll be fine," Max said soaking up the sight of him. She had never been so happy to see one her siblings in her life.

"What happened?" He asked as he pushed past Jason to get closer to her.

"Three bullets have a way of slowing down even a X5," she explained with a wry smile. "If it hadn't been for these guys, I'd have probably bled out before anyone found me."

"I doubt that," Jason said trying to ease the tension in the room. "Can we all sit down..."

"Just back off for a minute," Zack snarled turning to look at Jason. "I don't know who the hell you people are, but I have 4 X5s recovering from whatever you all did to them."

"You said you didn't hurt them," Max said turning her hard stare onto Jason.

"We didn't _hurt_ them," he replied. "Just incapacitated them so we could buy a little time to get Logan back inside."

This was too much for Max to handle right now. She was extremely worried about her siblings, and her growing feelings for Logan were pulling at her loyalties. The thought that he went outside the compound to try and reason with ten unreasonable X5s chilled her blood. She knew that he could drop anyone of them with a mere thought, but the other nine would have torn him to shreds while he was distracted.

"Look Zack, there's a lot more going on here than you know," she said turning her attention back to her brother. "There still a lot I don't understand, but right now we need to focus on Ben."

"Why do they even care about Ben?" Zack asked. "He's our brother, he doesn't mean anything to them."

"If only that was true," a voice said from the doorway. Zack turned to take in the tall, willowy women with long blond hair and eyes the color of warm whiskey. She looked tired, fragile and there was a hint of something else he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Amanda, you should still be resting," Jason said coming to help her still in the vacant chair.

"I can't rest," she snapped at him. "I can't sit still and do nothing while God only knows what they're doing to him."

"Why are you worried about Ben? For all we know you had a hand in what went on here." Zack said closing in on her. Max marshaled what little strength she had and pulled him back by his sleeve. Seeing the look on her face, he relented and came to sit on the edge of her bed, but he stayed facing Amanda.

"We didn't set you up," Amanda explained in a weary voice. "Logan and the others got here as soon as they could, but it wasn't in time to prevent what transpired. As it was they barely got to Max in time."

Zack held up a hand, cutting off her explanation. He wasn't concerned with these people, or their reasons for wanting to help Ben. He was grateful that they had pulled Max clear when none of them had been able to, but X5s took care of their own. They didn't take help from outside, and after the fiasco of a few nights ago, they were unlikely to take help from inside either.

"Saying thanks for helping Max isn't something I'm doing lightly," he said as he bent to scoop Max into his arms. "But we don't need your help, and we sure as hell don't want it."

Max felt the instant that things changed. Heat coursed through he veins setting her blood to boiling. Liquid warmth pooled in between her legs, and that uncontrollable desire to place her hands all over one particular man made her palms itch. She struggled slightly against the hold Zack had on her, and then she felt the barrier that came between them as she was settled back to the bed.

"Get your fucking hands off of her," Logan snarled from the doorway.

Everyone's attention was instantly riveted to the doorway where an exhausted Logan was barely standing. Max could feel the barely restrained anger that shimmered off of him in waves, and when her eyes met his, she shivered from the heat that seared her.

"Who the hell are you?" Zack demanded.

"It doesn't matter, but if you put your hands on her again, I'll kill you where you stand," Logan answered him taking a step into the room.

Zack had about as much as he could take. He needed to get Max away from these people, get his team back on track, rescue Ben and return Manticore. Those were things he understood. He reached for Max again, and felt something tighten around his chest, trapping the air in his lungs.

"I'm wasn't joking," Logan said drawing Zack's eyes back to him.

"Logan, NO!! Please don't hurt him," Max yelled trying to get off the bed for the second time in the last hour.

"Logan, she's right," Amanda said, jumping up and rushing to his side. She knew that he had over exerted himself earlier, and what he was doing now was going to push his body into failure.

Zack still didn't understand what was going on, but he was more resolved than ever to get Max out of here. But when he tried to reach for her again, the pressure in his chest expanded and he felt his heart flutter weakly against his chest. He heard the strangled sound escape from his chest as all the air was forced out, and stars exploded behind his eyes. He felt light headed and saw the floor rushing up to him as blackness descended around him. He never felt himself hit the floor, or saw Logan go crashing to the floor, blood streaming from his nose and ears.

**A/N: Don't hurt me, but please, please let me know what you think. Hit that purple button on your way out!! I'm begging here!!**


	9. Chapter 9: With A Little Help

**A/N: Well here's another lengthy chapter. It didn't take as long to get it written and posted as I thought, so I hope you all enjoy. I wish to thank you all for the reviews. They have been wildly received by me, and every time I see one, I jump up and do a happy dance. My son finds it wildly amusing, so keep hitting that review and he will be one deliriously happy 5 year old. I'm also toying with they idea of adding a bit of smut to this story. It's not necessary and I can keep the scenes tame if that is what you all wish. If you wouldn't mind a little more on the heavy side let me know, either way.  
**

Chapter 9:..With A Little Help...

"Is he dead?" Max asked, terror gripping her chest, forcing blood to pound in her ears and her voice trembling with fear.

"Which one?" Jason asked leaping to Zack's side as Amanda rushed to Logan.

Max watched in fear as Jason reached up and checked Zack's throat for a pulse. Neither him nor Amanda said a word, and it took a moment for her to realize that they were communicating telepathically. She wanted to scream at them that she needed to know what was happening, and wether or not Zack was dead. Before she could open her mouth two more people she hadn't met rushed into the room.

She watched as a dark haired amazon went to Amanda and knelt down next to Logan. When she reached out to place her hands on either side of his head, Max saw red and was consumed by an all encompassing rage. Thankfully her body was too battered for her to do more than growl and clench her hands.

"What are you doing to him?" She demanded as the amazon's violet colored eyes fluttered closed. "Damn it, one of you needs to talk to me."

"Delilah is anchoring Logan," Amanda replied. "It's difficult for me to explain, but basically Logan used more of his ability than his body could handle."

Max's attention was jerked away from Logan, when she saw Jason rip Zack's shirt and slap electrodes onto his chest. A broad shoulder man with red hair was powering up a defibrillator, and shook his head when the lines indicated no normal heart rhythm. Max felt the tears well up, and a sob choke her as she looked a Zack's lifeless body.

Jason nodded and the red head slapped the paddles to Zack's chest and pressed. Max watched the electric jolt cause Zack's body to jerk violently off the floor. The man shook his head again, turned up the dial and placed the paddles on Zack's chest. After the second jolt, Max heard the distinct sounds of Zack's heart resume at first an unsteady rhythm, then a strong pulsing beat.

"Gotta love Manticore technology," the red head said looking at Jason. "Are you sure Logan only attacked his heart?"

"I sure as hell hope so," Jason replied as the two men began the process of picking Zack's still form off the floor.

"Sedate and restrain him," Amanda said briefly diverting her attention away from Logan. "Get a scan on him to be sure it's just his heart, and don't take any chances with him."

Max saw the amazon's violet eyes cut to Zack and then hurriedly settle back onto Logan's face.

She saw Amanda touch the woman's hand, and knew that a silent conversation was flowing between the two. She only wished she knew what they were saying.

"Is he ok?" Max asked in a voice tinged with some deep emotion she wasn't aware that she was even feeling. She felt shaken looking at Logan spread out helplessly on the floor, skin so pale it seemed translucent. He didn't look as if he was breathing, and there was a stillness to him that was unsettling.

"Well he's not dead," the amazon replied looking at Max for the first time. "But if we don't get him anchored quickly that could change."

"So what are you going to do to prevent that from happening," Max demanded. Amanda and the amazon looked at each other, smiled, stood together and stepped away from Logan's sprawled body. Another woman appeared in the doorway, and chuckled.

"Sometimes you guys are just too much," she said looking at the other two women. "You plan on cluing in Manticore over there?"

"Max, you're going to need to move over," Amanda said coming to the bed. Max looked at her questioningly, then stubbornly set her chin refusing to move.

"Trust us on this," the amazon said coming to the other side of the bed. "Logan is by far the strongest of all of us, but he's weak where you're concerned. He's exerted his body and mind to the point of pure exhaustion. I've anchored them together, but _you_ need to anchor him here, with you."

"Eve is a telekinetic," Amanda said inclining her head toward the new arrival. "She'll move Logan into the bed with you, and hopefully your presence will ease his mind and allow him to get the rest he is going to need."

"And Max that's all we can really do for him," the amazon said imploringly. "There isn't any medicine or technology we can use to help him. Rest is what he needs, comfort is what you can give him."

Max nodded her head slightly, and moved over to the far edge of the bed. The kind of comfort she wished to provide one Logan Cale sure as hell wouldn't allow his body to rest, but his mind would definitely go off line for a few hours. She watched in fascination as Eve allowed her eyes to close, and her body to relax. Logan's lifeless body rose slowly off the floor and settled gently onto the bed next to her. Max reached out a hand to touch him, still a little amazed by the show she just witnessed. Although he was pale and still, his body emanated a heat so intense that Max was sure that her fingers would burn.

"Max, I need to check on Zack, and treat him if necessary," Amanda said heading for the door. "I will come back in a little while to check on Logan and let you know how Zack is doing. Delilah, hook Logan up to the monitors, and stay away from Zack."

"Is that an order?" Delilah bit out as she placed small leads onto Logan's chest.

"Do I need to make it one?" Amanda retorted. Max was a little stunned by the edge of steel in the smaller woman's voice. She watched as Delilah bristled, and clenched her jaw to refrain from saying something she might later regret.

"No," Delilah bit out. "I'll go and check the perimeter; that should keep me out of trouble." With that said and having finished the task of hooking Logan to the monitors, Delilah strode angrily from the room.

"Eve, please go with her," Amanda said on a sigh. "The other's should be arriving some time within the next few hours. I don't want her accidently shooting any of them because she's pissed at me."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Eve replied leaving the room. Max watched as Amanda took several deep breaths, and closed her eyes. She looked tired, a little weary and she swayed lightly where she stood. When Max made a move to try and get up from the bed Amanda opened her eyes, shaking her head.

"No, I'm fine," she said easing slightly back into the room.

"It's ok if you touch him, you won't hurt him," Amanda said while looking at Logan's still form. "In fact I encourage you to. He's never pushed himself this far before, and to be honest I'm afraid, afraid that he won't be able to come back, that he won't want to come back. I pray like hell Max that he'll come back for you." Amanda turned and left the room hastily, unable to hide the tears that streamed down her cheeks.

"No pressure," Max muttered as she was left alone with Logan.

Her body had gone into overdrive as soon as he had entered the room, but the close proximity of him in the same bed with her was driving her libido to the limits. She desperately wanted to touch him, caress him, stroke him, she needed to. She eased herself down to lie next to him, curling her smaller body around him almost like a cat. The heat that poured from him seared her, and she felt the liquid warmth from her own body pool between her legs. Max allowed her fingers to roam freely over his face, his jaw and down his neck. He didn't move, didn't stir, didn't react at all to her and the light feathery touches of her hands. She trembled at the thought that he was too far gone, that he would slowly fade until he was completely gone.

"Don't you dare die on me you heartless bastard," she whispered into the darkened room. "I'll personally hunt your ass down and kill you all over again." The gentle beeping of the monitors filled the room as Max slipped into sleep.

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"Are you fucking serious?" The dark haired man said throwing papers across the table. Two other men sat a small conference table in a room that didn't exist on any blue prints of a building that many believed was a hospital for the criminally insane, but was in fact the home of Manticore. Nothing like the criminally insane to keep the curious away from the gates.

"The report is accurate," one of the two said looking slightly sick and panicked.

"How the hell did you miss this, how did we miss it?" The dark haired man asked as he began pacing the room.

"No one really keeps track of their failures," the other man said evenly. "Why should we be any different?"

"Because our failures are coming back to haunt us with possible catastrophic results," the dark haired man barked. "Damn it, this wasn't suppose to happen."

"Actually this is exactly what we wanted to happen Benedict."

"But not without us having absolute control over the project and it's results," Benedict replied throwing himself back into a chair. "This is what we get for not following protocol."

"It was decided that having 20 young women disappear all at the same time would be more than a little suspicious," the youngest of the group pointed out. "The same reason we switched to embryos."

"Yeah well having 20 mentally enhanced super geniuses running around outside of our control is most definitely not acceptable to me," Benedict pointed out.

"Eric, does your source know how powerful these individuals are?" Benedict asked turning his attention to the younger man.

"The scope ranges," Eric said shrugging his shoulders. "They're all well above the range for genius intelligence, and the enhanced abilities don't follow any rhyme or reason. Some are multi talented with low level abilities, some only have one ability but a staggering rates and there is a belief that there is one of them so powerful that he can kill with a mere thought. Unfortunately all of this is speculation."

"Do we know if they are pheromonally linked?" Benedict asked the other two men.

"According to my source the answer would be yes," Eric answered. "They are linked to the X5s."

"That could work to our advantage," Benedict said rifling through the papers sitting in front of him. "Gordon how many X5s are outside of Manticore?"

"Ten," he responded consulting a file. "Those 10 are under Colonel Lydecker's personal command in Columbia currently involved in a rescue operation of two ex-Manticore scientist. Two teams reported in tonight, they've been debriefed and are currently on mandatory 48 hours down time."

"Put the rest of the X5s on lock down," Benedict ordered. "No missions, no training. They're not to go outside of these walls for any reason. Get in contact with Lydecker, tell him to abort his current orders and bring those X5s home."

"Is your plan to use them as bait to lure the Mantra progeny here?" Gordon asked.

"We have no idea what they know, how they've been trained; but I guarantee you they have been trained," Benedict pointed out. "We know that their mothers were all highly intelligent, obviously intelligent enough to continue the research without us finding out. They'll have a mission, they'll have a plan, but then so do we and we've waited a hell of a lot longer to see our's come to fruition."

"So what do you want us to do first?" Gordon asked him.

"Bring me Specialist Ryan," Benedict said, an evil smile shadowing his face. "We'll start with her."

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Logan stood at the foot of Zack's bed and waited for the younger man to notice his presence. It took every ounce of willpower he had to pull himself out of Max's arms instead of kissing her awake, and ravaging her delectable body. But he had a mission to complete, and not Max or the headache that threatened to render him comatose could be allowed to stand in his way. They had come too far, and had lost too much for the needs of one man to stand in their way. Even if that man was him.

He watched as Zack opened his eyes, some inner voice alerting him to the fact that he was no longer alone. He saw the moment that Zack realized that he was restrained, and the violent flexing of his wrists within those restraints. Confusion passed briefly over his face, only to be chased away as memory battled to the foreground. Then he felt the heat of Zack's eyes on his face, and Logan met the challenge head on.

"I will not apologize for what happened," Logan said crossing his arms over his chest. He was proud that his voice was holding steady, even though every muscle in his body trembled from exertion.

"What do what from Max?" Zack asked in voice laced with anger, hostility.

"What I want from Max is personal, something between just her and I," Logan replied. He took satisfaction in watching the younger man bristle at his words.

"Max doesn't belong to you," Zack spat out straining against the restraints that held his wrists and ankles immobile.

"Max doesn't _belong _to anybody but herself," Logan pointed out. "You're wasting your efforts trying to get free of those. They're made from an alloy specially developed just for Manticore graduates."

Zack clenched his jaw and stubbornly flexed his wrist one more time. He hated being at a disadvantage, but something about this particular individual just set him off. He didn't like Logan Cale's proprietary attitude where Max was concerned, or the way he possessively said her name. She was an X5, she belonged with her brothers and sisters. They took care of their own.

"I don't know what you people are, but I do know that it won't end well for any of us if we keep going this way," Zack said trying for reason. "Let Max and I go, we'll tell them that the objective was achieved, Logan Cale was terminated and you'll never see us again."

"You are correct that if don't reach some middle ground and soon, things will get ugly," Logan said. "But I will not let Max go, I can't let her go." Zack took a moment to study the man standing before and he realized that Logan had spoken the truth, he couldn't let Max go. He'd die first and take as many with him as he able, and Zack had first hand knowledge that he could.

"And even if we did let you go, they'll keep hunting us down. They'd never believe that you got to all of us, they'll know you didn't. They're beginning to put the pieces together and that means we need to make some decisions, and we need to make them fast."

"What is it that you want?" Zack asked his curiosity peaked. He knew these people were capable of amazing things, but then so were the X5s. What he didn't know was why he seemed drawn to them even when he wanted to hate them.

"We want and need your help," Logan replied moving closer. "Our whole lives have been driven to this point in time with you and your fellow X5s. It would take me a very long time to explain it all to you, I haven't even explained it all to Max, but suffice it to say that we need each other. We need to get Ben and we need to plan on how to get to the rest of the X5s."

"Get to them to do what?" Zack asked once again feeling confused and off center.

"To keep _them _from getting what they want from us. What they want to do to us, all of us is repugnant and it can't be allowed," Logan answered. Zack was alerted to something in the other man's voice, he wasn't sure what it was, but it held him enthralled.

"They will rape us, steal from us and when they have gotten what they want from us, we will be discarded, destroyed and forgotten. All of us, that's you, me, Max, all the X5s and my friends. Is that something you want, is that something you can live with it?"

"What do we have that they want so badly?" Zack asked trying to achieve a better position so that he could see Logan more clearly. Logan noticed the younger man's movements and lifted an eyebrow in silent query.

"Ok, I won't attack if you release me," he replied to Logan's question. Zack heard the slight click of the restraints being released, and he rubbed his wrist once they were free. He looked at Logan now with one of his eyebrows raised. "Nice little trick you have there."

"Comes in handy every now and then," Logan said with a smile.

"So again I ask what do we have that they want."

"Imagine if you will, your abilities and mine in one person, instead of split between the two," Logan said relaxing enough to sit down in the chair by Zack's bed. "That's what they were trying to achieve from the very beginning. We would have been born, raised, trained, fought and eventually bred together. The final product would have been a child, children with heightened senses, awareness, genius level intelligence, accelerated healing, reflexes and the ability to control, manipulate with their minds. They thought they had failed, but now they know they just hadn't waited long enough for the results."

"They'll take away our choices, something they've already done to the X5s," Logan continued. They'll breed us and when the final product has been delivered to them, we'll be expendable. We won't be need or wanted."

"What can we do to stop them?" Zack asked. He knew without having heard the whole story that Logan knew what he was talking about. Zack had no particular concerns or desires about children, especially his children, but he was concerned enough for his sisters and what would be done to them. It was his job to protect them, it had always been his job, after all he was the big brother.

"What we were meant to do," Logan said knowing that the younger man was slowly being swayed. "We were meant to work together, mostly in pairs, but in groups as well. We need to pull in the X5s outside those gates, deal with your Colonel Lydecker before he gets his order to abort this mission and return to Manticore."

"Lydecker wouldn't leave 3 X5s behind," zack said shaking his head.

"Not willingly no, but they won't give him much choice. They'll threaten the X5s that are still at Manticore currently under lock down. He'll feel compelled to return to Manticore, the needs of the many must outweigh the needs of the few, and all that bull. He must be dealt with and immediately."

"You mean _killed_," Zack said not wishing to leave anything up to interpretation.

"We do not kill with impunity, not for gain, only out of necessity," Logan said impassioned. "It's a burden none of us should have been saddled with."

"We are not just killers, there's more to us than that," Zack said feeling as if he had to defend what it was the X5s had been trained to do.

"No, you're individuals created, molded and shaped into soldiers," Logan rejoined. "You are what _they_ made you. Now you have to decide if you wish to remake yourselves into something more, into something only for yourself."

Zack looked at Logan, his heart stuttering wildly and he thought for a moment that he had underestimated what it was Logan had wanted, that he was really there to finish what he had started back in Max's room. But even as his heart beat wildly, he didn't feel as if he was about to die. In fact he felt overwhelmingly alive. Heat seared through his veins, his pupils dilated as lust filled his body, and he felt himself grow heavy and hard.

Logan looked at him, Zack could see the contemplation in the man's blue eyes. He was stunned at what he was feeling and he was sure that something was not quite right. Then Logan smiled, tilted his head to the side and got up from his chair. He turned to the doorway and Zack felt compelled to dot he same.

His body came to complete attention as a tall, well built woman with hair the color of midnight stood framed in the doorway. Her skin was white, almost like alabaster and her violet colored eyes shown with a bright desire that scorched from all the way across the room. Once again his heart stuttered, and his blood boiled.

"I was wondering how long it was going to take to you to disregard Amanda's orders," Logan sais to the woman.

"As long as you were unconscious, I would have stayed away," Delilah said entering the room. She titled her head to the side, looked Zack in the eyes, and then spoke in his head.

_Hello X5-599. Lord knows I've been waiting a long time to meet you._

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed. Hit that little purple button and let me know, plus I got my dancing shoes on!!**_  
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	10. Chapter 10: From Our Friends

**A/N: This chapter contains scenes that are graphic in nature. In other words, there be smut here!!! This is a short filler chapter. There is much excitement coming in the few chapters and we will be meeting more X5s and Mantra graduates. My son send his regards to everyone who sent a review as he got to see the happy dance. And I like to say thank you for all the reviews!! I really appreciate all the feedback, and I am glad that there are so many people who enjoy this little story.**

Chapter 10:...From Our Friends

Max woke violently aroused and more than a little confused. The room was darkened, but no light was necessary for the X5 to see, and what she saw stopped her heart beating in her chest. Logan was sprawled next to her, eyes fever bright, one hand casually splayed across her hip, the other making lazy circles around one of her nipples. She blinked, swallowed hard, and took in the fact that he was naked; every glorious inch of him was bare for her perusal.

_Looking is good, but I'm sure you want to touch._

The thought slid through her, caressing already heightened nerves and causing heat to pool low in her belly.

She turned her body into his, pressing them together from chest to groin. The contact of his body against her's set her to trembling and had her desperate for him to be inside her. She watched in fascination as he lowered his head slowly until their lips were but a breath away.

_I know your body wants this, but if you have any doubts, now would be the time to push me off this bed._

Max smiled, there was no way in hell she was pushing him off the bed, unless she was following him down to the floor. She pressed her lips to his in a slow, sultry kiss that belied the tempest that was roaring through her at the moment. She didn't know where she pulled the control to go slowly, to taste him, to savor the feel of his soft warm lips against her's.

He still tasted like that fine mellow wine, and it made her want to stay and drink forever from his mouth. He nibbled lightly on her bottom lip until she opened up for him and he plunged his tongue in to duel with her's. Max took in a deep shuddering breath and arched against him, his answering groan was sweet music to her ears. She felt him gather her in closer, his erection pulsing against her already damp curls. She knew if she shifted just right, he would slide deeply into her.

_Not yet Max. I want to take my time and enjoy every inch of you. I want to taste you with my tongue, feel you with my hands._

She should have known that he could read her mind. His words sent small shivers up and down her spine, and his mouth was working a diligent path down her neck in sweet butterfly kisses. Max's breath shuddered in and out of lungs like a runaway freight train, and she damn near bucked off the bed when she felt his hot mouth suck in a hardened nipple.

_Like that do you Max?_

She could feel his chuckle racing through her mind as his mouth continued to suck, nip and caress her breast. He took his slow tortuous time making his way to the other breast to lavish the same mind numbing attention. Max had been gently caressing his shoulders and back, but when he bit down gently on her nipple, her hands turned to raking claws that had Logan arching his back and growling deep in his throat.

_Damn Max, but I can't think with your hands on me._

The words were like a purr through her mind, and the combination of him caressing her body and talking to her at the same time was driving her insane. She wanted him now, she wanted him deep, hard and fast. And she was tired of waiting. Max used her enhanced strength flipping Logan onto his back, pinning his arms above his head and straddling his hips. She shifted a little until he was pressed firmly against her entrance, the heat of her making his eyes go black and his hips thrust forward.

_Have you done this before Max?_

The question was gently asked, moving through her mind like gossamer, yet it still had the strength to startle her. Max released her hold on his wrist enough that Logan slipped his hands free, trailing them light up and down her rib cage. He splayed his hands wide across the small of her back forcing her down against his chest.

_I don't wish to cause you any pain. I don't care if anyone came before me, cause none will come after._

Max looked deeply into his gorgeous blue eyes, and felt something in her chest loosen. She wasn't sure what it was, at the moment she really didn't care, but it touched her none the less. She wasn't embarrassed that she wasn't coming to him pure, she never had a chance for something like to worry her in her life, but that he treasured her enough to ask, made her giddy with pleasure.

Max kissed him deeply holding back none of the emotion that was so foreign to a X5. His answering kiss was as much a pledge as a desire to match her in emotions. She shifted her hips a little, and brought him slowly, inch by glorious inch into her. She stretched to take all of him in, and he filled her unlike any before him. Max wasn't aware at first that this was more than the act of fulfilling an aching desire. She wasn't use to feelings being involved in sex, she wasn't aware that there could be more to it than just simple fulfilment. She was learning differently right now.

For all their frenzied hurrying to get to this point, both of them wanted to go slow, wanted to savor the feel of the other. But what had been done to them took the moment to rear it's ugly head, and had Logan flipping her over onto her back, so that he could answer the tempest that roared through his blood. He pounded into her, chasing after the all encompassing need to posses her, and answering thrusts only managed to spurn him on.

He felt the small tremors that wracked her body turn to violent shaking as she quickly approached orgasm. He heard her all but panting his name over and over, and the tightening of her around his shaft managed to drive the breath from his lungs. But he didn't need air to talk, he had his mind for that.

_So you like the way I feel, do you Max. Like how wet I make, how you tremble in my arms._

His voice slid through her, deep inside where the tension had built so that she wanted to let go and fly apart, but she was afraid. She'd never lost control like that, and she wasn't sure she could come back if she just let go. Max felt him sliding through her, stroking her with his length, his hands braced to keep his weight off of her. He leaned down to take one nipple deep into his mouth, sucking hard, pushing her over the edge.

_That's right darling, give me everything you've got. Don't ever hold anything back. Say my name Max, I want to hear you say my name._

"Logan!" It came out as a hoarse cry as she crashed into a feeling of euphoria , sensation pounding through her as wave after wave claimed her.

Logan bucked against her, thrusting faster as Max screamed out his name, clenching violently around his penis. After only a few more thrust he couldn't hold back any longer, and felt his own orgasm rip from somewhere near his toes and slamming through him until his vision went nearly black. He was rendered speechless, both physically and telepathically as his mind went blank, his body went limp and he crashed back to earth.

He had enough where with all to fall onto his side, dragging Max with him to cradle her in his arms. He didn't know what the 20 had done to them, not really, but he wouldn't be complaining any time soon. It took several minutes, but his breathing finally returned normal, even if his vision was still a little blurry.

"Are you alright?" He asked Max, concerned that he had pushed her too far. She was still healing from her wounds, and he hoped that he hadn't hurt her.

"Be quiet," she rasped. "I've died, and I'd like to enjoy it in peace."

Logan chuckled lightly and squeezed her gently. She sure as hell knew how to stroke a man's ego. Max allowed herself to succumb to his embrace, thrilled that for the moment the overwhelming desire to mate with this man was quiet. There was no clamoring need clawing at her belly, no blood roaring in her ears and no maddening need to tear his clothes off. Just a post coital bliss that she never experienced before, and one she'd be more than happy to do experience again.

"We need to do that again," she remarked hoping that he'd agree with her. She felt his body shake as he laughed and sputtered at the same time.

"Max, your priceless," he replied looking at her. "I'd be happy to give you a repeat performance, but it's going to have to wait. There are some things we need to attend to." Max looked at him quizzically as he sat up on the bed, grabbing a shirt and dragging it over his head.

"Are we going to finish talking?" She asked as he threw on a pair of dark pants, followed by socks and boots.

"No," he replied turning to look at her. "How do you feel?"

"I told you I was fine," she said starting to feel a little snappish.

"I mean do you feel up to a little recon," he said picking up on the pique in her tone. She looked absolutely adorable, sitting naked in the bed where he had just made love to her, the sheet pooling around her waist. Looking at her now, you'd never know she was a highly trained, genetically altered killing machine.

"What are you up to?" She asked a little wary.

"Your bosses, or jailors, depending on how you look at," he said coming to sit on the edge of the bed. "They have found out that they may have been a little hasty when they shut down Project Mantra. Now that they know that is was successful, they are planning on using the X5s to set up a trap. They desperately want to get their hands on us, they are also eager to start the last and final phase of this joint endeavor. That's not something I can let happen, and Zack agrees with me."

"Wait a minute," Max said pushing herself up. "You've talked to Zack? You didn't hurt him?"

"I'm sure he appreciates your concern, while I'm a little hurt that you have so little faith in me," Logan his eyes going a little hard.

"You are the one who stopped his heart," she replied with a wry smile.

"I asked him nicely the first time not to touch you," he said in his defense. "Not my fault he's a little hard headed and needed to understand that I was serious. But that's all behind us now, and we have a much better understanding."

"I'm glad you _boys_ have decided to play nicely," she said sarcastically.

"As long as he realizes I don't share what's mine, then were good," Logan replied with a meaningful look at her. Max rolled her eyes, and decided they could shelve this particular argument for some other time.

"So what is it you and boy wonder have decided needs to be done?"

"You're not going to like some of this," he responds bracing for an argument.

"Try me," Max replied leaning back against the pillows.

"The X5s currently at Manticore are on lock down," he starts. Max's eyes go wide, but before she can say anything, Logan holds up a hand to forestall her. "There's nothing we can do right now to help them. We need to apprise the X5s outside those gates of the situation, get to Ben, regroup in an undisclosed location and come up with a plan to take own Manticore. Nothing less will ensure our safety of freedom. The alternatives are unacceptable."

"We can't just leave them there!" Max exclaimed. "If there in danger we need to help them."

"Max, we are the ones currently in danger, as are your brother and sisters outside my gates," he explained hoping she would hear him out. "Right now Lydecker is being given orders to abandon all current orders and return the X5s currently under his command to Manticore. He'll balk at first, but the leave him no choice, telling him that all the X5s are in danger and the only way to protect them is to bring them in house."

"We have a limited window to work with. If Lydecker figures out that you and Zack are here in the care of Logan Cale, he may relay that information to his superiors. They now know who and what I am. They'll order him to use the X5s to try and take this place down, casualties won't concern them as long as they get just one of us alive."

"What do you propose we do?" She asked beginning to understand that he was not only worried about protecting his friends, but her nd her siblings as well.

"We have to neutralize Lydecker and the other handlers," he said standing to pace the small confines of the room.

"You're going to kill them?" Max asked in horror.

"I find that amusing that both you and Zack felt horror at that," Logan said stopping to look at her curiously.

"We've known them our whole lives," she said hoping to convey the feelings that they all felt. Her unit had always been under the watchful eye of Lydecker, and even though he often pushed them too hard, they all knew it was because he was training them to survive, to come back home.

"Zack pretty much said the same thing," he said stopping at the foot of her bed. "So because of that, we won't kill them. Killing has never been acceptable to us anyway, just a last resort when all else fails."

"Ok, so we do this without killing anyone. I can accept that," she said.

"We'll need to strike fast, but that also means that you and Zack are going to need to talk fast, or we'll bee fighting X5s. Let's just say, been there, done that," he said coming back to sit on the bed.

"Then let Zack and I go out alone," Max suggested. Logan began to shake his head, the thought of her leaving his side unacceptable. "They listen to us. Right now I'm sure you are not high on their list of people they want to get to know better."

"Max, don't ask me to stay in here while you go out there to convince 7 hard headed X5s to follow you back inside," he all but pleaded.

"Logan, you have to trust me," she said placing her hand on his cheek. "They're my brothers and sisters, I know what to say to them. I know were pressed for time, but they'll be more inclined to listen if we're the ones doing the talking."

"She's right," Amanda said from the doorway. She came into the room carrying a set of clothes and placing them on the bed by Max.

"The lab in Seattle has been breached," she said glancing meaningfully at Logan, while Max scrambled into the clothes.

"Are...did they..," Logan stammered his mind reeling from the possible implications.

"It was a near thing," Amanda said. "They've gone to ground and were able to dump the information before they fled."

"We need to move fast. We're running out of time," he said pacing and running his hands through his hair. "Max, I'll agree to let you and Zack deal with the X5s. We'll disable the handlers and let you out the gates."

"It's better this way Logan," she said coming to stand in front of him.

She reached up and took his face into her hands, bringing him down for a long deep kiss. Max looked over at the door, and saw Zack standing there, an inscrutable expression on his face. She refused to be intimidated by that look, or feel guilty about anything that happened between her and Logan. Some one had changed the rules on them, and they all needed to get on the same page.

"Let's get this part done, so we can move onto the next," Amanda said slipping from the room, Max following her out.

The two men stood staring at one another. Logan decided not to delve into Zack's mind to find out what had passed between him and Delilah, it wasn't his right to know, just as Zack had not right to know what had passed between him and Max.

"We'll be quick," Zack promised him. "Take care of the handlers for us, we'll get the X5s in here."

"You'll watch out for her," Logan said not quite wanting to ask.

"She doesn't need anyone to look out for her, but I will any way," Zack said turning to leave. "She's important to both of us."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Logan mumbled as he turned to follow Zack down the hall.

**A/N: Almost makes me wonder who was Max's first? She's not telling me, and I really don't think that's fair. Please hit that review button and let me know what you think!!**


	11. Chapter 11: Making Plans

1**A/N: I am very sorry that this chapter has taken this long to finally get posted. I am trying to finish up 2 other fanfics so I can devote more time to finishing this one. This chapter is mostly filler and only meant to move the story along. The next few chapters should be action packed, fast paced and contain a little more pairings between Mantra and Manticore. Reviews are always a pleasure and I also love to hear what you would like to see happen in coming chapters.**

Chapter 11: Making Plans

"I hate him putting his hands on her," Delilah said between clenched teeth as she watched Zack run his hands up and down Max's arms.

"Not nearly as much as I do," Logan replied from next to her.

Delilah glanced over at her friend and what she saw made her pause. He was holding himself perfectly still, like a predator about to strike and take down his intended prey. She could see the mix of torment and rage that battled for dominance in the depth of his blue eyes. The constant clenching of his jaw was a silent testament of his internal struggle for control.

"It wasn't your fault," she says placing a hand on his shoulder for reassurance.

"Do you think she'll see it that way?" He asked never taking his eyes off the woman he regarded as his.

"She either will or won't, that's up to her; but you won't find out unless you go talk to her." Delilah said.

She let her hand drop from Logan when she felt Zack's gaze on her, causing her body to flush and tighten in anticipation of what he might do to her. When she looked over to meet his eyes she nearly staggered backwards from the intense possessiveness of his gaze, his stare reminding her of what she had allowed him to do when they were alone.

"Why do I feel like they're guarding her, as if I'm going to eat her alive?" He asked frustration evident in his voice as he looked out over the closed ranks of the X5s.

"Well gee Logan, isn't that precisely what you want to do," Delilah said with a teasing smile, hoping to lighten his mood. She laughs out loud as she sees his face turn bright red, his eyes dropping to the floor so that she can't see the flare of lust that shoots through him.

"Delilah, sweetheart, you've got one hell of a mean streak in you," Logan said as he gathered his courage around him like a mantle, and began the walk that would take him to the side of the conference room that the X5s had laid claim to.

They watched him approach warily, still not quite ready to trust this other group of people, especially after losing a handler, but more than willing to accept the help they were offering to rescue Ben. They had been a little stunned when Zack and Max had walked out of the compound and into their midst. It had taken only a few minutes of quiet hand signals from the pair to brief their siblings, and then all holy hell had broken out around them.

Logan could see the disdain in the X5s eyes for him, but right then he could care less what they had thought about him. The only one that mattered right now was Max, and trying to fix what may have been broken beyond repair. He fervently prayed that wasn't the case. He stopped in front of her and held out his hand.

_We need to talk_

Max felt the words brush against her mind and she had to stop herself from immediately taking his hand. She felt Zack and Crit stiffen, move as if to shield her from him, and she realized that if she didn't intervene some one else would get hurt. She lightly placed a hand on the arm of each of her brothers, and they moved aside for her. She inclined her head towards Logan, but she still refused to take his hand. He slowly led the way from the room, all eyes silently watching the two of them leave.

"I can't apologize enough," he started to say when they were alone in another room. Even though there was no one else with them, Logan felt like every member of both of their respective families were standing between them.

"Then maybe you shouldn't apologize at all," Max retorted wanting him to feel some of her anger.

"But I'm sorry for hurting you," he said in a low voice.

"But not sorry for killing him," she bit back.

"He was going to hurt you," Logan shouted.

"So you decided to stop his heart?" Max asked belligerently. "You just couldn't render him unconscious like every one else, or better still, let me deal with him?"

"They had orders to terminate the X5s if they couldn't subdue them and bring them back to Manticore headquarters," Logan explained trying to get a hold of his roiling emotions.

"And you don't think I'm capable of taking care of myself," she yelled at him.

"It doesn't matter if your capable," he shouted moving closer to her so that they were toe to toe. "I need to protect you and if that means coming between you and danger, then that's what is going to happen. If I have to strike out at anyone that wishes to do you harm, then I will, even if that means killing them, even if it means dying to keep you safe."

Max took a step back undone by the vehemence of his declaration. He could have told her that he loved her and that would still not have shocked her as much as hearing that he would willingly give his life for her. She watched as his chest heaved from all the exertion of his fury, and she couldn't help herself. She stepped back and grabbed his shirt, yanking him down so that she could press her lips to his.

Logan didn't hesitate in deepening the kiss, and before either of them knew it, he had her pressed against the wall, one hand sliding against the silky smoothness of her rib cage. Max lightly nipped at his jaw, working her way towards his neck as her own hands delved beneath his shirt to stroke the hard planes of his back.

"There's a room full of people who are probably close to doing each other bodily harm," he said into her ear as he gently cupped her breasts into his large hands.

"I'm sure they won't kill each other for another 15 minutes," she breathed heavily as his thumbs grazed across her nipples, bringing her to a heightened state of arousal.

"Max, I'm sorry that I hurt you," Logan said drawing her attention away from what he was doing to her body. "I reacted when I saw him grab you. I thought I was going to lose you, and something in me snapped, so I lashed out as strongly as I could."

"I won't tell you that it's ok," she said looking into his eyes. "I hurt that he's gone; he was more than just a handler, he was my friend. I have to believe that he wouldn't have hurt me, no matter what his orders were."

"I couldn't take that chance Max," he replied drawing her in tightly against his body. "I've searched, manipulated and coerced events to bring you to me, I can't risk losing you; it would destroy me."

Max heard the utter conviction in his voice, and realized that her own feelings for him were becoming deeper than just the physical attraction that pulled at them. She shuddered at the thought of something happening to him, and a black rage momentarily blinded her at the thought of some one hurting him. She realized that she would do anything to prevent that from ever happening. Just as he had killed a man at the mere possibility that said man would have captured her, or worse killed her. She couldn't fault him for wanting to protect her, and she couldn't stay mad at him, no matter that the person she lost had been a friend.

"I accept your apology," she said kissing him lightly. "A good man died today, and I understand why you felt compelled to do what you did. And I know how much it pains you that you've once again taken some one else's life; I can't absolve you of that guilt, all I can do is forgive you for the pain his death causes me."

"I can't promise that it won't happen again," Logan replied.

"I don't expect you to," she said leaning into him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and just held on to him for a moment.

"We need to get back to the others," he said pulling back from her slightly. "We don't have much time to rescue Ben."

The two of them move slowly back to the conference room, hands entwined and enjoying the moment. When they walked into the room, they realized that not much had changed since they left. The two groups were still entrenched on opposite sides of the room, glaring at each other, moments away from open warfare. The tension was thick and the air was spiked with it and something more, something primal, sexual. Logan shakes his head and wonders how he was going to manage to keep a handle on this very volatile situation, at least long enough to get Ben rescued.

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Specialist Angela Ryan paced around a luxuriously appointed room that she knows is just a glorified prison cell. She had not been overly surprised when four marine guards had pounded on her door informing her that higher command had reason to believe that she was in danger, and they would be escorting her to a more secure location.

Hence her new accommodations at Hotel Manticore, also home to the three stoogies; the men who ran Project Manticore. She had never met any of them before tonight and that had been alright with her. After all she wasn't here to make friends, or climb up the proverbial ladder. Her job had been simple yet dangerous, gather intel on the X5s, make no contact, don't get caught.

She had never worried about getting caught, they couldn't build a cage that could hold her, and since she could feel no pain, no amount of torture would pry information from her lips. Angela liked to say that membership in Mantra had it's privileges; but it also had it's drawbacks. Her ability with telepathy was one of the weakest, she needed to be in close proximity to get her messages across, and right now she wasn't close enough to anybody to let them know that her cover may have been blown.

She was pretty certain that wasn't the case, because if they knew what she was they would have sedated her almost immediately. So more than likely it had something to do with the information that she had been feeding Lydecker. It had been Logan's belief that Lydecker really cared for his _kids _and therefore it was time to bring him out of the dark. After all their long term objective was to get the X5s out from under Manticore control, and they would need every ally they could find in accomplishing that one goal.

Angela turned when the door to her room was opened and two older men stepped in. The door was closed almost immediately, but not before she caught a glimpse of guards stationed on the other side. The kick in her stomach and the rapid beat of her heart told her that at least one of those guards was an X5, and not just any X5, but Seth. Having Seth on the other side of the door would complicate things in ways she was not ready to think about.

She knew that the younger of the two men was Eric Vanderhall, the charismatic politician who kept the money flowing into Project Manticore. The older of this particular pair was Dr. Gordon Bixley, the brains behind the operation and the one who kept all the labs running smoothly. Angela hoped that Dr. Benedict Sutherland was not going to make an appearance, she wasn't afraid of him, but his penchant for high handed tactics left her feeling a little cold.

"Specialist Ryan, please forgive us for bringing you from your apartment in the cold," Vanderhall said to her all smiles and apologetic demeanor. "But we are concerned with your safety given the information that you've stumbled upon."

"Please have a seat so we can all be comfortable," Dr. Bixley invited as he took a seat on the plush love seat. Angela walked around to the sofa and sank down as if she was feeling very wearied and stressed. No sense in letting them know that she wasn't very worried about having been incarcerated.

"Specialist," Bixley started once all three of them were situated. "Can you tell us what precipitated your cleaning of the old supply closets?"

"Well, we were under orders from Colonel Lydecker to clean out the old supply closets as they were going to be turned into offices," she answered simply. She decided to keep her answers brief and to the point, let them work a little for it.

"So you weren't the only one cleaning out these closets?"

"Actually I was," she replied. She didn't want any of the other grunts getting dragged into this, people were known to disappear when things didn't go the way the stoogies liked.

"Why was that?" Vanderhall asked pinning her with his dark blue gaze.

"Everyone else was pulled to help in the clean-up of the training room after the water main break," she stated. The two men nodded their heads in remembrance of that event, it had caused major problems for several days and had left Benedict in a foul mood. "It was figured that one person could handle shredding old documents."

"So tell us what you found that prompted you to go to Colonel Lydecker?" Bixley asked.

"I found paper work on a discontinued project called Manticore," she stated.

"And you took this information to Lydecker." It wasn't a question as all three of them knew exactly what she had done with information.

"He is my direct superior," she said in a halting voice.

"That was correct procedure Specialist," Vanderhall reassured. "Was he the only one that this information was reported to?"

"He's the person I turned the boxes over to, if he shared the information with any one else I am unaware of it," Angela said in all innocence.

"I believe that is enough for now Specialist," the good Doctor said rising. "We want you to stay here for a few days. You'll be able to return to your quarters and resume your duties at that time. We may have more questions for you later, but right now we'll let you rest."

Angela watched the two of them leave and knew that it was also time for her to go. She had no illusions that she was scheduled for a disappearing act within the next few days and she had no desire to be around for it. She was aware that this little meeting had been to determine if she was the only one who had been aware of the information she had stumbled upon. They believed that Lydecker was too loyal to turn on them, so she was the only loose thread, one they had no problem snipping. They would be surprised by Lydecker's defection, and she was convinced that he would defect, anything to save his kids

She felt a twinge of guilt knowing that she would be leaving the X5s who were currently on lock down behind, but that just couldn't be helped. She was able to effect a full breakout of ten super soldiers alone, they'd probably think she was nuts anyway and turn her over to the stoogies. But there was no way in hell she was leaving Seth behind, not since they had put him in her path all nice and gift wrapped.

**Please hit that review button!! Plus you can give me hell for taking so long for an update.**


	12. Chapter 12: Ones Step Forward

**A/N: Many of you have asked me to please continue this story, and Lord knows it has been a long time in coming but here is the next chapter. Too much has happened for me to explain why this has taken so long, but it was always my intention to continue. I am going to try to post a chapter every week, that is my plan but I am also trying to finish another fanfic, take 2 classes and take care of my newborn little boy. So chapters may take a little longer than a week, but we will move forward and get this fic done.**

**Reviews are great and are really a source of inspiration to continue. It was because some many people asked me to continue that I reconstructed all my notes and plunged on. So please leave me a review, a comment anything to keep me going. And thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story.  
**

Chapter 12: One Step Forward

They held the perimeter, and the outlying jungle was well within their control. The gatehouse that had surely been erected after their last foray into the compound had fallen with little fuss and no noise. If the cameras posted around the area were active, all they showed was a quiet night, and situation normal. Nobody inside the compound was even remotely aware that the outside was now held by a combined group of X5s and Mantra graduates, backed up by a small band of highly trained soldiers loyal to one Logan Cale.

Logan glanced over at the woman who was plastered to his side, as they hugged an outer wall of the compound. He was exhausted, his mind a chaotic whirl of voices and images that threatened to take him under. Max was using her body to shield him, to allow him the time to get his mind back under control so that they could get inside and get Ben out.

_We're in position Logan_

He heard Delilah's voice swim through his consciousness, but he couldn't quite grasp what she was telling him. He was being pulled in so many different directions, he wasn't sure which way he was suppose to be going. He felt Max's body shift against his and all his senses went on alert.

"Come on Logan, stay with me," he heard her whisper right in his ear. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up and the rest of his body responded to her nearness. Without thinking about it, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her bringing her even more firmly against him.

"Now is not the time to get all romantic on me," she hissed at him. "We're suppose to be on a rescue mission here."

"I can't help it," he replied back on a chuckle. At least the physical reaction of his body to her's helped clear some of the fog that had enveloped him. He could still feel the tremors as they wracked through his body, but if he gave himself a few more minutes he should be good to go.

"Maybe you should stay out here," he heard Max whisper. He could hear the worry in her voice, and although it touched something inside of him, he had no desire for her to consider him weak.

"No way in hell am I going to stay outside like a whipped puppy while you go in there guns blazing," he bit back.

They were both surprised by the amount of anger that infused his words, and Logan cursed as he felt Max withdraw from him a little. He hadn't meant to snap at her, but sometimes it bothered him that for all his intelligence and abilities, he was still the weak link between the two of them.

"I'm sorry Max," he said on an agonized plea. "I know you're just worried, but you might need me in there. Plus I'm still trying to talk you out killing Asherton on sight."

"I didn't mean to insinuate that you're not strong enough to do this, but I'm going to be real pissed if I have to carry you and Ben out of there," she replied running her hands down his back. The tremors had just about subsided, but now that Max had put her hands on him, Logan was beginning to be seized with a whole new set of problems.

_That's enough you two. In case either of you have forgotten, we're knee deep in enemy territory and I should hope you don't want to get caught with your pants down._

_I wasn't planning on getting caught Delilah._

_Funny Logan. How about we finish this op, and then the two of you can sneak off for some alone time?_

Logan chuckled at Delilah's grumpy tone of voice. He knew that she was suffering just as badly as he and Max, having been paired up with Zack. It was Amanda's way of metting out a little retribution for Delilah ignoring her order to stay away from Zack earlier.

"Still no way to talk you out of killing Asherton?" Logan asked, taking a quick peek at Max over his shoulder.

"Sorry ace, but he's a traitor, and that means nothing less than a death sentence," she replied in a very stubborn tone of voice that Logan had been hearing way too much of.

"He may have information that we'll need later," Logan said trying to reason with her.

"Then I hope you have some one who can commune with the dead," she snapped back.

Logan felt her move away from him and knew that they had reached a point that was not open for further discussion. He knew that Max was blaming herself for Ben's capture, and no amount of trying to convince her that Ben had willingly sacrificed himself would help. She felt that she should have stayed behind with him, but Logan knew from talking to Zack, that decision would have been catastrophic.

Zack had told him that Asherton had an unholy obsession with Max, and that this whole operation had probably been orchestrated for Asherton to get his hands on X5-452. Zack was pretty sure that the rest of them would have just been icing on the cake, for sale to the highest bidder.

Now Max wanted to go in and personally take out Asherton. Logan feared that it wouldn't go quite the way she wanted it to, and that had tension eating at his control. He needed all his wits about him for this rescue to be a success, but feeling as if Max was in danger was more of a distraction than he could handle. Under normal circumstances his mind could do several things at once, allowing him to think and react faster than an average human, but being around Max changed all that.

He slowly pushed himself up from the ground and made his way over to where Max was crouching. They were all in position, just waiting on him for the go ahead. He momentarily thought about rendering Max unconscious, but knew that if he did she'd probably kill him. He lightly touched her shoulder, reaffirming himself that everything would be alright in the end. It was time to get this over with and get out of the area; they had drawn enough attention to themselves already, and Logan could feel the minds at Manticore planning on how to draw them all in.

_We are good to go. _

No sooner had he released the thought that Logan felt a massive explosion rock the building and the ground. When he looked towards the rear of the compound he saw a large column of smoke, dirt and fire shoot into the night sky momentarily illuminating the darkness. The time for stealth had come to an end when they had gained control of the outside building and surrounding jungle. They had known that getting into the compound quietly would have been damn difficult, so they opted for mayhem and diversion.

Logan could feel the initial confusion from the individuals inside the compound, and then he felt the knowledge that they were under attack seep into their minds. Even though they knew that some one was trying to gain entrance, all the men inside rushed towards the sounds of the explosions and gun fire. All except two.

Logan felt Asherton's acknowledgment that they X5s were back to rescue Ben, and instead of rushing head first into the fray, he began a hurried journey to were the heavily sedated X5 was being held. He tracked the traitor's progress, making a mental map so that he and Max could follow him once they were inside.

_We are taking heavy fire back here. You're mostly clear up by the front entrance. I can sense only three men; all armed._

Logan felt Delilah's thoughts slide through his brain as she engaged in hand to hand combat. He almost felt sorry for Zack as he felt the man's panic when Delilah took a vicious back hand to the face. He could almost hear Zack's primal scream as he tore the man apart and dropped him to the ground like a rag doll.

_We have three at the door, then nothing between us and Asherton._

Max acknowledged him with slight shake of her head, and then she was moving on the door almost before he could blink. He felt the link between them snap close as she focused all of her attention on the entrance. Logan wasn't fooled though; he knew she had erected mental barriers to keep him out, so that he couldn't interfere with her desire to kill Asherton.

He entered the minds of the men that were waiting on the other side and managed to drop two of them before Max kicked the door in. He couldn't do anything about the third as darkness rushed up to envelope his mind, as the burn of acid climbed up his throat. Logan was close to unconsciousness when he hit the ground, his heart pounding against his ribs like a jack hammer.

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Seth hadn't wanted to be put on something as mundane as guard duty; it was a bullshit detail even if he was guarding the traitor that had put his brothers and sisters in danger. If it was up to him he would just eliminate the bitch so there would be no need for a guard. They had all been briefed earlier that at least two teams of X5s had been set up and possibly captured for their special genetic material, add Lydecker to the mix and some one would have everything they needed to get their own super solider program started. If that was the case the woman on the other side of the door had a very short life span.

The door opened and the two suits came out, both looked directly at Seth and gave him an imperceptible then hurried down the hall. They had just given him the order to terminate the woman in the suite. Rolling his shoulders, Seth looked at the second guard who was leaning against the wall closest to the door. He didn't know the solider, hadn't seen him around before, but that wasn't unusual in an installation of this size.

Before the other man could blink, Seth had crossed the distance between them and rendered the man unconscious. He slowly let the man's body slide to the floor propping him against the wall. No one would have any problems believing the guy when he told them he had no clue what had happened. That one minute he was awake, the next he was waking up on the floor.

Seth moved to the door, opened it slowly and looked into the darkened outer room. He didn't need the ambient light that spilled into the room from the hallway to tell that the room was empty, so he silently slipped in and closed the door. He didn't hear anything and guessed that the traitor was in the other room, possibly already asleep.

He listened for any indication that she had heard him enter and when everything remained quiet and still he moved towards the door he knew led to the bedroom. He wasn't going to shoot her, although that would take less time, but he wanted the satisfaction of feeling her life slip through his bare hands. There were times that Max said he had the soul of an assassin instead of a highly trained solider. He just like to think that he was specializing in a certain aspect of their training.

When he got closer to the door he felt something like heat liquid move through his veins and all his senses went on alert. He shook his head trying to clear the confusion that was leaving him light headed. He discarded the notion that he was getting sick, X5s didn't get sick, but he didn't know what was wrong with him. His body had gone on complete alert and he had the strong desire to reach out and make physical contact with some one. It unnerved the hell out of him.

"Unnerving, isn't it?" He heard from directly behind him.

Seth turned around so fast that the room spun and he had to take a step back to regain his balance. How the hell had she managed to get the drop on him he would never know, but he recovered quickly, rushing her and pinning her to the wall with his body. He ignored the flash of heat that moved through him like a tidal wave and wrapped his hands around her throat.

_I didn't think this was the way we would finally meet._

He heard the words in his mind like a soothing caress, and it shocked him enough to slightly loosen the pressure from around the traitor's throat. He jerked her up off the floor so that they were looking directly into each other's eyes, and what he saw released a howling animal in heat from his depth.

_We don't have time for that particular indulgence. _

Seth couldn't help himself, actually he could and he planned to. He wanted to feel he skin against his and watch those silver eyes as he possessed her completely. He lowered his head to her's and forcefully took her mouth with his own. The double punch of pleasure that shot to his groin had him moaning against her lips, and when he felt her tongue invade his mind he went wild trying to tear her clothes from her slender frame.

Angela was rapidly getting caught up in conflagration that was consuming them and she knew in a few short seconds there would be nothing she could do to stop them. But she had to. They had to get out of here and he had to know what was going on before she would allow him to join them together. She reluctantly pulled back and put her hands between them; seeing them splayed against his chest was almost as provocative as having him look at her with that smoldering green gaze.

"We can do this later," she said in a voice that trembled with lust. "Actually we will do this later, but right now we need to get out of here."

"You aren't going anywhere," Seth said as some of the fog receded from his befuddled brain. She was a traitor, she had betrayed his friends and she had to pay, yet he couldn't make the move to end it.

"I can imagine what they told you," Angela said talking fast, knowing that they had a very small window to work with. "The one thing that they said that was true is the X5s are in danger. But not because of anything that I or my friends have done."

"What have you done?" He said feeling a renewed sense of outrage.

"We don't have time for a full explanation," she said pleading with him. This was taking too long and her frustration was mounting.

_Do you think that just anybody can do this. That anybody can slip into your mind and communicate. You can't even do this with your precious brothers and sisters._

Seth reared back shocked once again by that intimate contact. The fact that she was right was the only thing that kept him from reaching out and snapping her neck.

"I can't read your mind like Logan could, but I can tell you would really like to snap my neck," she said laying her hand against his cheek. The contact jolted through him like lighting and he once again had the strong desire to kiss her.

"Later, I promise," she said to him with a sultry smile. "But we have to leave."

"I can't go without my brothers and sisters," he replied. Seth knew that he wasn't going to kill her, at least not right now, but he couldn't leave the other X5s behind.

"We don't have a choice," she replied gripping his hand tightly. "If they come back and I'm still alive both of us will be in deep shit; and if we try to get to the X5s we will be captured. You have to trust me. I know you don't want to, your loyalty lies with them, but if you want to help them, we have to go. Now."

Seth wasn't sure what was happening, and the thought of leaving the X5s behind upset him, but he knew that he was going to. He let it settle over him, accepted the decision and then put it behind him. He needed to know who this woman was, and to do that he was going to have to help her escape.

"Alright," he said stepping back. "There is another guard outside the door, but he should be unconscious for a little while longer, but how are we going to get out of the compound?" They were on lock down and getting out unseen or unchallenged would be damn difficult.

"Leave that part to me," she sid with an impish smile. "Escaping is what I am good at."


	13. Chapter 13: Two Steps Back

**A/N: Once again I am apologizing for the very long wait, but hopefully with school almost done I will have more time to update and finish my stories. Here is the next chapter and although I have begun Chapter 14, it maybe a little longer than a week before I get it posted. Thank you so much for your reviews and encouragement for me to continue this story. I love getting your reviews and look forward to many more. Enjoy!!!**

Chapter 13: Two Steps Back

Seth marveled at how easily they had walked past guards, with Angela only lightly holding his hand. She had told him to not break physical contact with her, or make any moves in a different direction from her own. Nobody said anything to them, they weren't challenged; it was almost as if no one even knew they were there.

There were klaxons going off in the distance, alerting the personnel to a breach in security. Seth knew that would mean a heavier military presence, as well as all entrances and exits being locked down. There was no way in hell the two of them could stroll right on through the gates without being seen.

"You have so little faith," Angela said to him; almost as if she could read his mind. "I can feel your doubt through they way you are hesitating."

"How can you do that?" He asked perplexed by this woman who was holding his hand.

Seth had to admit that the contact with her was making him feel things he had never felt before; not even with Max. He was more than a little leary of those feelings, and he wasn't sure he had made the right choice in letting this woman live. She was certainly going to lead him to an early death, and probably straight to hell.

"There is more to me than what you can see," she responded to his question. "When some one looks at you, they see a solider, a highly trained, confident solider. It's in the way you carry yourself. What they don't see is the stuff that is beneath the surface. That extra kick you get from your enhanced genetics."

"So, you're telling me you have a little extra kick?" Seth asked.

"I would say its more than a _little _extra," she replied.

He could feel her amusement of his assessment glide up his arm and wrap around his chest. The feeling wasn't unpleasant, just a bit surprising. Seth had to admit that she definitely had something extra to be able to communicate without saying a single word.

"I can also keep others from noticing us," she said a little perturbed that he wasn't appreciative of the fact that no one had yet to see them.

_Let's not forget her ability to read his mind_, Seth thought.

_I can do more than just read your mind. I can read your body language, and I can convince your mind that it doesn't see me, even if you are looking right at me._

_Don't forget talking inside my head._

_Don't be so petulant. You can do plenty of things I can't do._

"Can we compare later?" He asked, still sounding petulant to his own ears.

"Of course, but I thought you had other things you wanted to do later," she replied in a voice that was like warm honey. Seth felt the heat begin to pool in his abdomen and couldn't help the groan that escaped him.

"You're going to be the death of me yet," he whispered.

"I'll take you to heaven first," Angela promised.

Seth pulled up short when the gate they had been headed for came into sight. Just as he thought, the large iron gates had been closed and there were extra guards posted. On both sides of the gatehouse were two Humvees blocking the entrance and exit. There were guards with dogs waiting to be given instructions, and he could just make out the rapid fire conversation coming over the wireless headsets the soldiers were wearing. The orders were simple, shoot to kill.

"You got a plan to get us pass this?" He asked snidely.

Seth was a little surprised that none of his brothers or sisters had been called up. The brass would have to know that he was helping the traitor escape, and it would take nothing less than at least one X5 to stop him.

"They don't want to run the risk of losing two X5s tonight," Angela responded to his unspoken question.

"How are we going to get through without them seeing us?" He asked.

"Same way we got this far," she replied with a shrug.

"You can do that?" Seth asked incredulous.

"Yes," Angela replied with a shrug. "As long as you stay in physical contact with me, we will walk right pass them; the dogs included.

Seth isn't sure he believes her, but he has come this far. He knows that if he tried to turn back now, they would probably kill him, and chalk it up to his being an anomaly. He'd rather be a hunted fugitive, than end up dissected on a metal table.

"We will just walk right through?" He asked again for reassurance.

_Yeah, but you'll want to stop talking now. I can probably mask the sound of your voice from the humans, but the dogs are most sensitive._

It was an experience that Seth never wanted to repeat in his life again. Angela wrapped their hands together tightly, and walked them right up to the gate. They had to pass a number of guards and when one of he dogs sniffed at him, Seth almost jumped out of his skin. Climbing to the top of the gate and the back down the other side while holding hands was a feat he didn't wish to try. Without letting go of her hand at first, he had her get on his back, and then he climbed up, lightly landing on the other side.

Not one guard made a move as if they had heard or seen anything. The dogs became a little restive, but no barked or even whined, leaving their handlers to believe they were just growing bored. With little to no effort, they had left the Manticore compound, and for the first time, Seth was without orders or X5s as backup.

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Max felt a moment of indecision when she saw Logan hit the ground. The man that Logan wasn't able to drop made a move to subdue Max. It was a move that would prove fatal for him, as Max sensing his intent, delivered a stunning round house to his diaphragm, followed by an elbow to his larynx. She knew before he hit the ground that he was dead.

She ran back outside, fear choking her as she approached Logan's still form. She didn't pray, wouldn't even know who to pray to, but she silently pleaded to some higher power, that he wasn't dead. Reaching out, she felt for the pulse in his neck, and breathed a sigh of relief when it thumped against the pad of her fingers. It was sluggish, but it was there.

Not wanting to leave him in the open, Max hauled him up over her shoulder, and went back into the compound. She put him against the wall, and checked the other two men to be sure that they were dead. Assuring herself that Logan was safe for the time being, Max made her way down the hall; she had to get Ben out.

She pulled out the small black transmitter that they had gotten from the captured Lydecker. They all had GPS locators implanted in their hips, and Ben's was sending off a strong signal. Max thought Asherton was stupid for not disabling it, but maybe the idiot thought if Ben escaped, he would be able to track him through the GPS. The idiot didn't know that the X5s had learned a long time ago how to disable the devices, and if in real desperate situations, they would just dig the damn things out.

Inside the compound was absolute quiet. It was unsettling and the fine hairs on the back of Max's neck stood straight up. She wanted to believe that she was the hunter, but instinct told her, she was very much the prey. Asherton hadn't wanted Ben, he had been after her the whole time. Ben had sacrificed himself not only to save her, but to thwart Asherton. He was going to be furious when he learned she had walked right into the lion's den alone.

"I know you're here Max," came Asherton's disembodied voice. "Why don't we dispense with the games, and get right down to business."

Max wasn't feeling very conversational, nor was she up for bargaining. Her goals were simple; get Ben and kill Asherton; she wasn't interested in anything else. The creepy little bastard didn't have anything she wanted anyway.

"Now Max," came the voice once again. "I'm not an uncaring man. I am quite willing to be generous in my dealings with you, but make no mistake that if I don't get what I want, neither will you."

Max continued to creep through the compound until she was certain that she was outside of where Ben was being held. She was fairly certain that Asherton had watched her progress, so there was no need to sneak in. She opened the door and stepped into the dimly lit room.

Her eyes didn't require any time to adjust, and the sight that greeted her made her freeze. Ben was naked, legs and arms strapped to a metal table. There were ivs in each of his arms, probably pumping him full of drugs. There was a bandage over his chest and another wrapped around his upper thigh. The slight rise and fall of his chest was the only indication that he was alive.

It wasn't the sight of Ben that had made her stop dead in her tracks, but instead that of Logan propped up against the wall with Amanda by his side. His eyes were open, but she could tell that he wasn't completely lucid. His breathing at times was shallow and at others very ragged, almost as if he was running a marathon. Amanda also looked like she was under a tremendous amount of stress. Her normally pale complexion, was a sickly shade of gray, and it looked as if she would pass out at any moment.

"Now isn't this quite the lovely gathering," Asherton said in an overly cheerful voice. "I have a couple of things you want Max my dear, and you have some thing I want."

"What exactly would that be?" Max asked not wanting to play his game. She saw the gun he was negligently holding, and she didn't doubt he was willing to use it.

"Let's not be coy Max," he replied. "I am willing to let this lovely lady," he said indicating Amanda, "take our Benny here and leave."

"And what about Logan?" She asked moving more fully into the room.

"Now what leverage would I have left to keep you in line, if I let him go as well?" Asherton asked with a smile.

Max knew that as soon as he got what he wanted from her, Logan would be dispensed with. It was obvious to her that he had no idea what Logan was capable of, because if he did, he would have already killed him. With every minute that passed, Logan was regaining more of his strength, and it would only be a matter of time before Asherton was twitching on the ground.

"You see, your friend Amanda knows what is important to her," Asherton said walking towards Max. "She came here and made me a deal."

Max's eyes whipped to Amanda's face and saw the truth written all over it. She had double crossed all of them, was willing to make a deal with the devil to get what she wanted. Max couldn't totally blame her, she understood how strong the pull was and knew she herself would do anything to save Logan.

"So, she gets Ben and you get what exactly? Max asked.

_Max_

Max looked at Amanda. The voice in her head wasn't Logan's, there was a different feel to it, not the caress she had become used to when he used telepathy to communicate with her.

"I get you darling," Asherton replied, not realizing that there were two separate conversations going on.

_You have to keep him talking_

"I want some one special to be the mother of my child," he said conversationally. Max could tell he was warming up to his subject, and she knew that this could only work in their favor.

_Logan needs a little more time to regain his strength. I don't know what he will be capable of, but it can only help us._

Max realized that Amanda had not betrayed them, she had simply made Asherton believe he was holding more cards than he actually was. He was self centered, maniacal even, and therefore believed that eventually, everyone would recognize his inflated ego, and come groveling before him.

"Wait a minute," Max said, just now realizing what the idiot had declared. "You want me to be the mother of your child?'

"Yes," Asherton replied moving closer to her.

"And after that, what?" Max asked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The man was a lunatic, and a fool if he thought she would agree to bear him a child.

"Do you honestly think that I would agree to any of this?"

"What choice will you have?" He asked edging closer to her still. "If you don't give me what I want, then I am sure your friend, Logan here, won't have a long healthy life ahead of him."

Asherton closed the last b it of space remaining between them and grabbed Max's arm. Before she could move to disarm him, she felt the prick of a syringe in her neck. She knew what time she had was limited, so she delivered a stunning blow to his solar plexus. It was enough to get him to stagger back a couple of steps, but he recovered quickly and lunged for her as she began to sink to the floor.

Neither heard the roar of rage as Logan forced himself to a full upright position. Amanda raced over to Ben as she heard the very foundation of the compound rumble and begin to shake. Asherton looked around, stunned when the building gave a loud popping sound and the ceiling exploded into pieces.

Max felt the world go fuzzy, and she tried to hang onto consciousness as sheet rock and dust began to rain down all around them. She felt the building rock and sway, followed by several large explosions. The last thing she remembered before the darkness claimed her, were strong arms scooping her up and the feel of the night air on her cheeks. What she didn't know, was whose strong arms she had landed in.


	14. Chapter 14: Striking the Dragon's Tail

**A/N: I had a lot of trouble with this chapter, but I managed to wrestle it down and finish it earlier than I thought. SO here you guys go, another chapter and you didn't have to wait 6 months to get it. I want to thank all of you that have left reviews, and for those who didn't thank you for reading. BUT PLEASE leave me something, I love seeing that people are not only reading, but enjoying. So PLEASE leave a little tidbit (I'm begging here). Enjoy!!**

Chapter 14: Striking the Dragon's Tail

Zack protectively curled his body around Delilah as explosions rocked the night, and large chunks of concrete rained down around them. For several minutes the ground shook, trees were hurtled through the air and what sounded like Armageddon raged on. Having Delilah wrapped like a full length body pillow in his arms wasn't helping him concentrate on the situation at hand either. The full throttled lust that roared through him was demanding immediate satisfaction, and he wasn't sure how long he could resist.

Then sudden quiet surrounded them, and Zack lifted his head to check the situation. What once was a one story, concrete structure was now a pile of rubble surrounded by large holes in the earth. The trees that had once given the compound a measure of concealment were strewn in a wide circle, many of them having been literally ripped from the ground. Others had been shattered into smaller pieces, and some looked as if the had been shredded into large piles of mulch.

"_LOGAN!!"_

The scream split the night air and Zack jumped to his feet, all his senses on alert. He looked to see Delilah on the ground, her body bent back like a bow, a silent scream etched on her beautiful face. He dropped to his knees, gathering her in his arms hoping the physical contact would keep her grounded.

"What is baby?" He asked in a desperate whisper as violent tremors wracked her body. Zack felt helpless. He couldn't see what was causing Delilah so much agony, and he wasn't sure what he could do to help her.

"Jas...Jason," she stammered, her eyes coming to focus on his face.

Zack looked around trying to see if he could ascertain Jason's location. He couldn't see much of anything, the perimeter lights having exploded along with everything else. His heightened eyesight was picking up heat signals, but he couldn't be sure who or what they belonged to.

"What about Jason?" Zack asked, hoping that Delilah could give him more to work with.

"He was connected to Logan," she replied. Her breath was coming in short gasps, her eyes dilated and still a little out of focus. "He had all of us connected; mind to mind so that we could communicate with each other simultaneous. The connection shattered, sending a vicious backlash to Jason."

Another series of tremors shook the ground around them, followed by a small explosion. The rubble of the compound shifted and Zack saw a figure stagger out, then collapse to the ground. He heard some one approaching from the east; the direction in which the gatehouse sat. There was more noises and commotion coming from the interior of the surrounding jungle, and he knew that his siblings were headed in.

"We have to check the rubble," Zack said to Delilah, pulling her to her feet.

The two of them approached the prone figure cautiously, not sure exactly who had managed to survive the destruction. As they got closer, they saw another body laying close to the first, half obscured by rubble.

"It's Amanda," Delilah said, placing gentle hands on her friend.

"Ben." Zack was surprised at the sight of his brother. There were scraps and bruises on his face, a deep gash by his hairline and he could tell Ben's shoulder had been dislocated. If there were any other injuries, they weren't apparent in the darkness of the jungle.

A blast of concrete and dirt shot into the air, followed by a dust covered Logan who fell to his knees at Zack's feet. The look on his face was one of barely controlled rage, and his eyes blazed blue through the inky blackness of the jungle. Before he could stop himself, Zack hauled him up his shirt and shook him.

"What the hell did you do?" He shouted into Logan's face. "Where is Max?" The look that Logan leveled on him would have caused a lesser man to shrink back in fear, but they had long passed that point in their relationship.

"It seems your Lieutenant was more determined to get his hands on Max than any of us had foreseen," Logan replied with a voice so deadly, Zack was glad he was not Asherton.

"He can't have gotten far," Zack said while scanning the surrounding area.

"Farther than you think," Logan replied breaking out of Zack's hold. Zack had to grab him and haul him back up before he crashed to the ground.

"Not so steady after all," Zack shot back, a small smile playing around his mouth.

"Shut up," Logan hissed out between clenched teeth.

Zack could tell that Logan was hurting in a bad way. The man was almost complete boneless, and if Zack loosened his grip, Logan would go down. The physical toll on his body was nothing compared to the drain that using his abilities had placed on him mentally. Exhaustion was causing his vision to come and go; the ringing in his ears was wreaking havoc with his equilibrium, and he could feel the blood vessels in his head threatening to burst. If he didn't rest, there was a good chance he would be dead when he hit the ground.

"So what now?" Zack asked.

"What else," Logan responded darkly. "We go after Max, and I tear your Lieutenant to pieces."

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"You can put me down now."

Seth almost obliged Angela by dropping her to the ground, but he didn't want to take any chances that she had a few other tricks up her sleeve that he was not aware of. Carrying her through the area surrounding Manticore had caused his nerves to be scraped raw. His desire to kill her was as strong as his need to fuck her into submission.

He had to get some distance between them, it was the only way either of them would survive long enough to be of any use to each other. The thought of returning to Manticore entered his mind, only to be shot down when he looked at her.

"You can't go back," she said reading the naked desire in his eyes.

"I can't leave my siblings there indefinitely," he snarled.

"Let me rephrase that," she replied moving closer to him. "You can't go back by yourself."

"So what, you and your little friends are going to help us?" He asked, the sarcastic bite to his words surprising him.

"That was the plan all along," she said.

"In case you haven't noticed, we are in the middle of Manticore's private, military compound with nothing but the clothes we have on, a Manticore issued assault rifle and one hunting knife that I was suppose to cut YOUR throat with."

Seth chest was heaving with all of his pent up emotion; he could feel his heart hammering against his rib cage and he had to take a step away from so that he could regain his normally calm demeanor. This woman both excited and infuriated him, turning him into a raving lunatic.

"I can't explain everything to you right at this moment," she said softly, moving into his personal space. "Know that getting your siblings out of Manticore is the only acceptable solution to me and my friends."

"WHO are your friends?" He asked.

"Just know that we a group of highly trained individuals, with a unique genetic imprint," Angela replied, placing her hands on his chest.

"Feels like you're leaving out a few details," he grumbled. Despite being disgruntled with her, Seth felt himself pull her closer, breathing in the spicy scent on her skin.

"More than a few," she said with a smile that made something in him tighten, and his temperature to skyrocket. "But we need to get moving; we have a lot of ground to cover and if we stand here much longer, those Manticore soldiers will catch up to us."

"You have a plan, don't you?" He asked.

"Of course," she replied while nipping at his ear.

Seth had taken as much as he could from her, he brutally gripped her hips as his mouth slammed down onto hers. Going slow never entered into his mind as his hands pulled her shirt up so he could get to naked flesh. He felt her arch into him, and knew that if he didn't get inside her soon, he would die and damned if he was going alone.

"I don't know why, but I need you," he gasped, dragging his mouth from hers.

"I know," she replied. Her eyes were unfocused and he felt a surge of something primitive, knowing he was the reason she was so befuddled.

"God, do I know," Angela said as she broke out of his arms. "But we have got to push this to the back burner."

"You're going to be the death of me," Seth replied, already missing the feel of her against his body.

"In more ways than one," she said with just enough promise to make him break out in a sweat.

"Lead on woman before I change my mind, and take you up against the nearest tree."

Seth watched with hungry eyes as she turned and began making her way through the trees. He bit back a groan as he saw the deliberate way she made her hips sway with each stride she took. Nothing had ever looked so delicious to him, not even Max, and God knew he loved her beyond all else.

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Asherton sat in the over stuffed chair looking out the window at the Hudson River. Things hadn't gone according to plan, but the end result was still the same; he had Max; he had X5-492. All his waiting, planning and manipulating had finally paid off. The excitement was so overwhelming he could do nothing but sit and take it all.

He had made a promise a long time ago, and now he was well on his way to keeping that promise. He wished they were all still alive to see the end, but wishing didn't make it so; he would have to be happy with what he had. He pulled the cell phone out, toyed with it for a moment, then flipped it open. This was a call he thought would never happen.

"Hello," the voice was gruff, stern and after all these years still managed to frighten him.

"I got her," was Asherton's simple reply. No need for pleasantries, they had long ago dispensed with the need.

"And Logan?"

"We don't need him," Asherton replied bitterly.

"Be that as it may, we shouldn't discount the possibility," came the stern reply.

"Well I left him at the bottom of pile of rubble," Asherton snarled.

"Well let's hope you don't have to go back and dig him out," the voice said. "When can I expect your arrival?"

"We will be leaving New York in a couple of days," Asherton answered.

"If he is not dead, Cale will be on your tail."

"I can handle him," Asherton said.

"Don't be so sure, we can't afford any mistakes. No more calls. I'll be waiting for you, and Richard, be careful."

The line went dead, and Asherton folded the phone, placing it back into his pocket. He gazed for a few more minutes out of the window, then got up and approached the large king sized bed. The woman sleeping soundly on the bed didn't give the appearance of being dangerous, but he knew better. He knew she was deadly, and given the chance she would not hesitate to kill him.

Asherton walked over to the suitcase sitting by the door, pulled out a smaller case and went back over to the bed. The woman was moving a little, straining against the bonds that held her in place. He watched her as he pulled a syringe and small vial out, checking to make sure it was what he wanted. He saw her eyes flutter, open then close. This happened a few more times before she was able to focus, understanding dawning on her face when she saw him, recognized him. He gently pricked her skin with the syringe, pushing the stopper to release the drug into her system.

"Don't worry Max, we have plenty of time," he said, bending close to her, breathing her in. He watched as her eyes began to flutter close and her struggles against her bonds relaxed. Asherton touched her cheek gently and placed a kiss on her lips.

"Sleep well darling."

**A/N: I think our boy has some issues (and I know what they are)!! I didn't have a chance to proof this, so please excuse any mistakes. Now please leave a revie, you know you want to.**


	15. Chapter 15: Its Never What You Think

**A/N: This chapter and the next are going to be mostly filler, no explosive action BUT it is on the way. I am so happy to see that there are still people who are anxiously waiting for the next chapters. I am looking to do a total of 20 chapters for this story, and then a sequel. Please don't be shy and leave a review. I really look forward to them and now that I have more time I am trying to respond to them. Enjoy**

Chapter 15: Its Never What You Think

Angela knew that even though she was in exceptional shape, she did not have the same stamina that a X5 had; they were going to have to stop. She needed a breather, or she would end up curled on the ground in the fetal position, or worse yet, thrown over a particular X5's shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

"Let's slow the pace to a jog," she said as she slowly transitioned to the easier pace.

They had been running full out for almost an hour and had covered an amazing amount of ground in the dark. She had let Seth take the lead, his enhanced eye sight allowing him to see and maneuver around any obstacles that would trip them up. She wanted to reach Bozeman no later than dawn; hopefully some one was still there waiting for her.

"I can carry you," Seth said over his shoulder.

"When hell freezes over," was her terse reply. She knew he would never let her live it down, even if she voluntarily allowed him to carry her.

"Little prickly there," he commented, amusement ripe in his tone.

He had no idea. Being the youngest of a group was never an easy task. At first being babied and spoiled was wonderful, but when you wanted to stretch your wings and see if you could fly, every one else wanted to wrap you in gauze and keep you safely in the nest. It had taken a lot of over achieving and sheer determination for her to get Logan to let her do more than just monitor intel. She even had to go so far as leaving the circle, giving them no idea where she was. Logan, being who he was, called her bluff, and they spent the next year playing cat and mouse. They called a truce when a rare bacteria threatened her life, and he caught up with her in Budapest.

"I'll be fine," Angela said, keeping her eyes squarely on his back. "I may not be a revved up X5, but I'm no average Joe."

"Damn straight about that," she heard him mumble.

It made her smile knowing the effect she had on him. She continued to jog behind him, placing on foot in front of the other, the continuous rhythm lulling her into a state of peacefulness. She never felt her steps falter, nor the exhaustion that had finally caught up with her.

Seth chuckled as he hoisted her over his shoulder and continued heading towards Bozeman. He was going to love riling her for passing out during their daring escape from Manticore, but that wouldn't be accomplished if they got caught. He took a few minutes to center his mind, took a handful of deep breaths, then began sprinting. If he managed to avoid any obstacles, they would reach the city within a few hours.

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"What do you know about Lieutenant Asherton that isn't in his military file?" Logan asked as he pulled off Lydecker's blindfold. He watched the older man blink several times, his eyes adjusting to the bright lights after his confinement in the darkened rooms of Logan's compound.

"I'm guessing things didn't go quite according to plan," Lydecker said, sizing up the young man who stood before him.

Lydecker silently admitted that he was impressed by Logan Cale. The photos that he had study of the younger man had shown a tall, lanky somewhat nerdy fellow, but they hadn't been able to convey the raw energy that poured from him. Lydecker could see that Logan was use to making hard decisions and having those decisions carried out with little to no fuss. Logan wore the mantle of leadership with an air of confidence that was rare in one so young.

"It seems your Lieutenant was very determined to get his hands on X5-452," Logan replied.

"I can't add more than you probably already know," Lydecker said with true regret to his voice. He had a soft spot for Max, and the thought of her with Asherton unsettled him more than he was willing to admit. "His family has some wealth and small influence in certain circles."

"What circles, military perhaps?" Logan asked looking for anything that could point him in a direction, any direction.

"No, I don't believe so," Lydecker responded, a frown marring his face as he tried to think back on little snippets of conversation during late night meals and reports.

"I believe they funded grants, for what I'm not sure; but he came from old money. You know, the kind that doesn't have to work ever again," Lydecker said rather pointedly.

"Then if he didn't have to work, why did he; and for the military no less," Logan mused.

The room fell silent as Logan paced around, bouncing a tennis ball from hand to hand and occasionally against a wall. Every so often he saw Logan stop and tilt his head to the side, almost as if he was listening to a conversation that only he could hear.

"So did you come up with anything?" Lydecker asked when the silence had stretched on. Logan looked over at him, almost as if he had forgotten that he wasn't alone in the room.

"The military has something he either needed or wanted," Logan replied absently. "You said they funded grants. Is it possible Manticore got some of its funding from Asherton's family?"

"No," Lydecker stated with certainty. "Manticore's funding is buried in the budget for defense, no private donations."

"Uncle Sam doesn't like to share his toys," Logan replied, his tone cynical.

"That's certainly one way to look at it; but a rather narrow point of view as it were," Lydecker shot back.

"We stray from the topic at hand," Logan responds pointedly.

"Son, I can't help you tied up and being held prisoner in the middle of some God forsaken jungle," Lydecker replied hoping to reason with him.

"And you sure as hell won't help if I untie you and take you out of the God forsaken jungle," Logan quipped. "No, that's not right; you'd help me alright, into a nice little cushy military laboratory and try to convince me it was for my own good."

_Play nice Logan._

_Shut up Jason!! Do you have anything for me?_

_You are much better at ferreting out information than I am, but seeing as Amanda won't let you anywhere near a computer right now, here is what I have. Lieutenant Richard Asherton use to be Skylar Pennington until about twenty years ago. He legally changed his name after moving back to the US from Brussels. We are digging into the Pennington family now, but if I had to guess AND I was trying to run from you with something I know you want, I'd head out of country. Someplace nice, like Brussels._

_Have the jet fueled. We're leaving in an hour._

"You have something," Lydecker said reading the change in Logan's demeanor.

"Something more than I did a few moments ago," Logan conceded.

"I could help you," he offered.

"I can't trust your kind of help," Logan said from the door. "Don't worry, someone should be here to round up you and your team in a few hours.

Lydecker watched as the younger man walked out softly closing the door behind him. He had to admit that he admired Logan Cale, and he looked forward to matching wits with him at a later date, because they both knew this was far from over.

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Several things occurred to Max all at once, and none of them were even remotely close to pleasant. Her head ached with that dull feeling of having been drugged both too much and too long. She attributed the nasty dry taste in her mouth and slightly sore throat to having been deprived water (or any liquid) for one too many hours. Her legs were numb, as were her arms. But on the bright side she wasn't blindfolded as her eyes took in the interior of what had to be a private jet.

Everything was modern, leather and dark heavy wood. There were a few large swivel chairs, a couple of couches, including the one she was presently secured to. A large sideboard took up one side of the cabin and a beautifully carved cabinet was stocked with a large array of alcohol.

"Well look who has decided to join the party."

The voice was one she knew well, and up until now, only found annoying. Asherton had graduated to the lofty spot of he who must be killed as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Max had never really paid much attention to him before, but she took the moment to study him now. He was tall, maybe as tall as Logan. Trim, well defined build; clear blue eyes set in a pleasing face; not that she would ever admit that she found him pleasing. His hair was a light brown, cut close as military personnel tended to do. He had a scar on his jaw, it was faded; probably something from his childhood. Something about him was familiar, something she hadn't spotted before and couldn't place now.

"Hope you like something you see," he said as he settled into a chair.

"I wouldn't count on it," Max replied. Although he appeared relaxed, cocky even; Max could tell he wasn't. He was nervous and something was bothering him.

"How did you manage to get pass Logan, plus a full team of X5s?" She asked.

"We all have our secrets X5-452," he replied without looking at her. "Maybe I'll be willing to share mine with you, but not just yet."

"Will you tell me where we are going?"

"No," he said with no hesitation. "Not quite sure how that whole telepathy thing between you and Cale works. Ah, didn't think I knew about that," he said as he saw surprise flit across her face.

"You'd be surprised about what I know," Asherton said pinning her with his eyes. "And what I am willing to do to get what I want."

Max inwardly acknowledge that there was more going on here than what appeared on the surface. She could determination burning in Asherton's blue gaze, as well as a hatred that went very deep. It wasn't completely directed towards her, but she was a part of whatever he felt he had been wronged about.

"I'm sorry to have to do this," he said as he approached her, pulling out a syringe and taking off the cap. "But we both know that you are going to do everything you can to get away, and I can't have that right now.

Max barely felt the needle as it pricked her skin, but she felt the burn as the liquid entered her arm, and then the slow heavy feeling produced by the drugs. She watched as Asherton grabbed a blanket, covered her and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears.

"I will try to keep you from coming to any harm, but it may be a futile attempt, Rest now, we will be there shortly," she heard him say as she slipped into the blackness.

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Angela felt a raging inferno trying to consume her, and she had no will or desire to fight it. She let go of the tight bands that had held her restraint at bay for so many months and gave herself over to the fire that licked along her nerves. She captured the mouth that was slowly trying to drive her insane with teasing little kisses and deepened the kiss until the recipient was growling back at her.

"Still don't want me to carry you," she heard Seth say against the shell of her ear. She felt his teeth graze the sensitive area, and then give her lobe a gentle tug. The feelings that raged through her body were far from gentle, and she couldn't help arching her body into his.

"Keep that up, and we are going to give a show to the local wildlife," he replied grinding his hips just a little so that she was well aware of his aroused state.

"We can't," she groaned, pushing against his chest just a little. "Where are we?"

"Just on the outskirts of some housing development in Bozeman," he replied reluctantly getting to his feet. He reached down and helped her up, trying to keep their physical contact to a minimum. Carrying her over his shoulder had done wonderful things to his body, including disrupting his equilibrium and his concentration.

"We need to get to my apartment quickly," she said not quite ready to let go of his hand.

"Is that a wise move?" He asked allowing her to maintain the contact even though his body was screaming at him for release. "Wouldn't that be the first place Manticore will look for you?"

"The apartment was rented under the name of Matthew Granger," she replied. "And the first place Manticore will look for me, will be an address in the town of Convers, just about 15 miles away from the Manticore base. So we don't have a lot of time here, but there are things we need, so get moving soldier."

"I like when you order me around like that," Seth replied.

"Keeping dreaming," she replied with a little smile.

They walked on in silence for well over an hour, moving out of the outlying suburbs and into the city itself. Angela found the place quaint and charming after having lived in some of the largest cities in the world. She could almost see herself settling someplace quiet, where time moved at a slower pace.

_Yeah right. You'd go crazy within a day._

Angela dropped Seth's hand and whirled around in a tight circle as strong hands lifted her off the ground. She couldn't stop the stream of tears that flowed down her cheeks, or the laughter as it bubbled out of her.

_I've missed you so much baby girl._

_Logan, what are you doing here?_

Before he could answer, he felt the firm grasp of another hand pry Angela from his arms. Logan chuckled inwardly and shot an amused look at Angela.

"Back off Seth," Logan said at the larger man. "I'm trying real hard not to let the issues I have with you come between us, but push me too far and I won't be responsible for my actions."

"Put your hands on her again, and you won't be the only one having issues," Seth growled stepping into Logan's personal space.

"Can't make you any promises there old boy," Logan replied with a cocky grin.

"That's enough out of you two," Angela snapped as she stepped between them.

"Sorry puss, some times I just can't help myself," Logan said smiling brilliantly at Angela.

"What are you doing here?' Angela asked. "You are courting serious danger coming this close to Manticore."

"I needed you sooner rather than later," he replied turning somber.

"Something bad has happened," she stated.

"That's one way to put," he acknowledged.

"Does this have something to do with my brothers and sisters?" Seth asked not trusting this stranger, despite Angela's silent assurance there was nothing to worry about.

"Not quite," Logan said cutting his eyes to the other man. "It's all about Max right now."


	16. Chapter 16: Asherton: Pennington

**A/N: It's been a long time since I have wriiten and posted a chapter for this story, but finally it is here. I hope to keep my momentum going and finish this story with about four more chapters. I apologize to everyone who has invested time in this story with the extremely long delays in new chapters. I appreciated feedback and it is a great motivator to continue; so plese feel free to leave me as much feedback as you want.**

Chapter 16: Richard Asherton: Skylar Pennington

Richard Asherton, formerly Skylar Pennington sat in the large winged back chair and brooded. He wondered when everything had become so difficult; wondered when this mission was no longer what he needed to sustain him. The mission had been everything to him for as long as he could remember. It was what drove him, what gave him purpose and he had lived his whole life preparing for the mission and what success would mean for him.

A small sound from the large four poster bed drew his attention and he knew that the woman bound and drugged there was the reason for his melancholy. She was the source of his discontent and he could blame half of what he was feeling on her; well maybe a third. Another third went to Logan Cale and the final third went to Sir.

He was fairly sure that Sir was his father, although the man never claimed to be. He deflected Richard's queries into the subject, often telling him it was of no consequence or that the knowledge would serve Richard no purpose. When he was a child the answer often confused him and made him feel unconnected to anyone or anything. It lost its importance when he was a teenager as he had so many other things to focus on, and teenage rebelliousness made him care less about who his father was. As an adult, he realized that the lack of surety made him uneasy and he was no longer willing to accept the answer and move on. The thought of bringing it up to Sir made his stomach heave and had him questioning his sanity.

Richard was not afraid of Sir, or rather he was no longer afraid of him. When he was younger, the man terrified him, often causing him to have nightmares that casted Sir as the vilest of monsters. The fear lessened as he grew older, and then one day he realized that it was not fear that motivated him to continue his association with Sir, but the same desire for revenge that Richard knew burned deeply within Sir. Richard's need for revenge was buried in his feelings of abandonment, while Sir's had to do with betrayal. In the end, the reasons were irrelevant, success was all that mattered; and Max X5-452 was the lynch pin in the plan.

Richard slowly unfolded his long frame from the chair and moved closer to the bed where Max slept fitfully. He allowed his eyes to travel along the perfect lines of her face, noting the primal beauty that was still in evidence, even while she slept. She was small and compact, her body built for speed, yet he knew that she had a lethal strength that had been imbued within her genetic make-up. She wasn't a genius like some of the X5s, but she definitely possessed a quick mind and a sarcastic wit that often served her better than any amount of extraordinary intelligence ever could. Richard was also aware that buried deep within her genetic code was untapped grace, decorum and elegance; attributes that would have been used to have her infiltrate the highest levels of society, where true power reigned.

He felt his heart kick up a beat, felt the heat that surged through his veins and the overwhelming need to bury himself within her tear through him with the force of a tsunami. He fingered the black case that had been tucked away in his pants pocket, knowing that he had reached a crossroads in his life. Taking a deep breath, he removed the innocuous looking case and flipped opened the lid to reveal a syringe nested on a bed of crushed black velvet. The liquid inside was a burnished gold, and Richard could swear that he felt the heat of it as he touched it. Shaking off the feelings that ran through him, he firmed his resolve, tore off the cap and plunged the needle into the soft flesh of Max's arm. He slowly pushed the plunger, releasing the fluid into her vein a little at a time. It didn't take long and soon the syringe was empty. Richard removed it and discarded it along with the case.

He moved the covers from around Max, revealing her naked body to his hungry eyes. Slowly, he shed his own clothing and carefully slid into the bed, pulling her warm body firmly against his own. He wondered how long it would take, how long before the liquid that coursed through her veins buried itself within her depths, and make her yearn for him the way he burned for her. Richard felt her shift; he felt her move against his body causing a primal urge to take her now flash through him. He felt her cool palms flatten against his chest, her foot slowly glide up his leg until she hooked it around his waist, bringing their bodies into intimate contact. He watched as her eyes fluttered open, the pupils large, dilated and unfocused. He continued to watch, fascinated as her lids closed and a few moments later opened again, clarity shining in their depths.

She was no longer being affected by the drugs he had pumped in her to keep her subdued. She was fully awake, in control of both her mind and body. He felt her arch against him, seeking the warmth that poured from in waves. He felt her arms encircle his neck, and as her eyes never left his, he felt her warm lips settle over his; her tongue tease the corner of his mouth. He felt her sigh, the warmth of her breath fanning the conflagration that was already consuming him. He waited, holding himself in rigid control, needing concrete confirmation and hoping like hell he would get it. And then God (or the devil, he really didn't care which) must have heard his pleas.

Max breathed one word against his lips, "Skylar" and plunged her tongue into his mouth.

Logan was agitated, pacing the confines of the jet cabin like a caged animal, and unsettling the nerves of all the other occupants. He could feel their tension, almost taste it and knew that he had to find some way to relax, or they would all be too edgy for what was coming. And damn, he didn't know what was coming. He hadn't had a single glimpse of what the future held; there was nothing before him but a dark, shadowed road.

He couldn't feel Max, was completely unable to reach out and touch her unique mind; and that more than anything scared him half to death. He had been aware of her all his life; had been able to sense her no matter where she was in the world. Logan could reach out with his mind and touch hers, he had silently communicated with her since they were both children. The bond between them had never been blocked, and the fact that it was now, had him in a near state of panic, because he could think of only one reason why he was unable to connect with her. Max was dead.

"You don't know that," Jason said, as soon as the thought surface in Logan's brain.

"What else could it be?" Logan asked, terror making his voice harsh.

"She could be unconscious," Amanda offered. She desperately wanted to ease Logan's mind. They all depended on him for so much and if he broke down, they would never be able to see this through to the end.

"That has never been an issue before," he growled, as he paced another length of the cabin.

"Maybe someone is blocking you, all of you," Ben suggested, drawing the attention of everyone in the main section of the jet cabin.

"Why would you say that?" Amanda asked.

Since Ben had been rescued, she hadn't left his side. She had worked feverishly to heal his broken body, and spent long hours with Delilah mending his shattered brain. They hadn't been able to completely ascertain what had been done to him mentally; they had also been unable to erase his tortured memories. The only course of action that had been left to them, was bury the memories deeply into his subconscious and hope nothing ever triggered them.

"We are obviously missing something," he replied. "No one has been able to adequately answer how Lieutenant Asherton managed to get himself and Max out of that compound, without being seen or leaving a trace of where they might be headed."

"Max being dead would not serve Asherton's purpose to sell her to the highest bidder," Zach interjected.

"He doesn't need her alive to get her genetic make-up," Logan said, as he finally stopped prowling and slumped into a chair.

"Actually he does," Seth said quietly, causing all eyes to snap to him. He took a deep breath and plunged on. "I don't know how it was done, but something like a self-destruct failsafe was imbedded into our genetic code. When an X5 dies, large sections of DNA dissolve, leaving gaps in the sequence. It would be next to impossible to recreate the code without those missing segments."

"That is brilliant," Amanda replied, her mind racing with the possibilities and implications. "But would Asherton know that?"

"Yes," Seth confirmed. "As a handler and the Colonel's second in command, he would have access to almost all of the relevant information on X5s."

"Then what are his reasons for wanting Max?" Jason asked.

"I think I may have found that," Angela answered, looking up from the laptop she had been engrossed with for the past ten hours.

"What?" Logan demanded, jumping from his seat.

"It seems that Mantra was originally funded by a grant or endowment from the Pennington Family Trust. It can't be a coincidence that Richard Asherton's given name was Skylar Pennington."

**A/N: Some of you may be outraged with what is going on with Max and Asherton, but we'll have to see how it plays out. Also as an aside to the mention of Max's intelligenece, I am not applying that she does not have a high I.Q. (in fact her I.Q. is beyond the genius level), just that it is not her primary attribute.**


	17. Chapter 17: What A Tangled

**A/N: Warning! There be graphic material at the beginning of this chapter! This means sex! Thank you for the reviews; they re-affirm my belief that someone is still reading this story. Of course more reviews are welcomed and greatly appreciated. Some may become outraged as they read this chapter. It was necessary and maybe you will forgive me after the next couple of chapters. Hopefully I will be able to wrap this story line up with 3 more chapters. Please enjoy and leave a comment or two.**

Chapter 17: What A Tangled…

Max felt heat course through her body in heavy, delicious waves, turning her skin rosy and giving her sense of languidness that she had never before experienced. She arched her back, causing Skylar's erection to press firmly against her opening, making her mouth go dry in anticipation. She allowed her hands to trail down his neck, across his collarbone and finally to the hard, flat nipples on his chest. She gently raked her nails around his nipples and shifting slightly, pressed her foot against the small of his back.

The position opened her legs wider, and with the gentle pressure she exerted on his back, she caused the head of his erection to slip inside her moist heat. Her muscles clenched around him and she fought the desire to draw him in completely. She smiled at his low groan and felt his body go rigid as he fought for control. She felt the muscles beneath her hands tremble as waves of ecstasy rolled through him, and she couldn't help feeling delighted, knowing what she did to him.

Max pulled back, wanting to see his face. She had known him for a long time, and despised him almost instantly on sight, yet at this moment she wasn't sure why. She traced his jaw, her fingers gliding softly on his skin. When her fingers neared his mouth, he opened his lips and gently bit the pads. She sucked her breath in as he drew her index finger into his mouth, nipping at it lightly. She watched, fascinated as his blue eyes darkened when she pulled him into her a little more.

He was big, hard as steel and her muscles stretched pleasurably to accommodate what little of him was already within her. She looked down to where they were joined, heat curled through her as her body clamored for satisfaction. She felt him roll her beneath him, hands braced on the mattress to keep his weight from crushing her. Her eyes fluttered closed, as he took her mouth in a soul blazing kiss and then began pushing himself, with maddening slowness into her.

"Open your eyes for me Max," he said gently. "I need to see you."

She did as he asked, her lids slowly opening to see him so close to her. His eyes blazed from both the candles that were interspersed throughout the room, and the feelings she invoked in him. He looked different from the lieutenant she knew him to be, and there was something so oddly familiar about him that she hadn't noticed before, but she couldn't say what.

She damn neared screamed with pleasure, as he surged forward and buried himself inside her with one powerful thrust. Max rolled her hips forward, wrapped her legs around his waist and took the last bit of him into her body. She shook with the waves of pleasure that coursed through her, and she felt some sort of barrier in her mind shatter, allowing images to race through her psyche.

Before she could gather her roiling senses to analyze the images, Max felt Skylar suck one of her sensitive nipples into his hot mouth, his teeth nipping the turgid peak. Her ability to think rationally vanished, as her body sought the completion he offered. She didn't think she could have taken any more of him in, but he sank deeper when he moved her legs from around his hips, and placed them on his shoulders. She felt him grasp her hips in his large hands to steady them both, and then he began to move inside her.

Max met him, stroke for stroke. The rhythm they established was as old as time, yet there was a quality to it that was unique to them. The pressure that was building within her was unbearable and she clawed at his back and shoulders, begging him to go faster and harder. She saw both satisfaction and triumph blaze from his beautiful blue eyes, and when he whispered into her ear, she shattered into a million pieces as her climax tore through her. Max clenched hard around his shaft as pulsing waves rolled over her. She felt him thrust twice more, and then exploded hotly within her as he reached his own climax.

She had never felt the earth shattering release she was experiencing in his arms. Not with Seth, or the occasional stranger when her heat cycle demanded she mate. What she experienced with Logan was close, but something was different here and she shied away from what that might mean. When she thought of Logan, her heart squeezed tightly and she inwardly winced. Max's experience with normal relationships was almost non-existent, and what she did know, was still foreign and hard to get her mind around.

Max looked at the man sprawled next to her, one arm flung over his face, obscuring his eyes. She watched as his heart raced and chest heaved, his body trying to draw in much needed oxygen. She knew him to be fit, lean and lightly muscled; the word sinewy came to mind as her eyes travelled over his naked form. She knew he was extremely intelligent, a fact he had rigorously hidden from his fellow officers and the staff at Manticore. Looking back over the time he had been at Manticore, coupled with the last few weeks, she realized this man had a plan, and she had a part to play within it.

"You are integral to my plan, singularly the most important part," he said, looking at her face; drawing her eyes to his.

As she continued to look at him, she felt as if a veil was being drawn back, and she was allowed to look at what really was, not just what he wanted her to see. She studied him slowly, examining each individual feature, looking for the piece that would bring clarity. Her gaze travelled from his feet, past his muscled calves and thighs, noting the birthmark on his right hip. She skimmed past his sex, across his flat, lightly muscled abdomen, and broad shoulders. Max took in the shape of his chin, and the strong line of his jaw. She saw the dimple in his right cheek, as he gave her a sultry smile. His nose was straight, aquiline, and then she realized that it had been broken at some point. She flew past his eyes, wanting to save those for last. She looked at his brown hair, streaked with gold highlights, and a sudden awareness flowed through her.

She had saved his eyes for last, and looking at them she knew why. Skylar's eyes were a vivid shade of blue. It would be impossible not be captivated by his intense gaze; so she didn't bother fighting it. The look he gave her was full of heat, desire and the promise of pleasure. She couldn't help the feeling of intense desire that gripped her, and she started to reach out and touch him. She gasped and pulled back when she saw his eyes dilate, revealing pupils that were not black like the rest of the world's population, but a dark, cinnamon brown.

And then she knew. Max knew who Skylar Pennington reminded her of.

Logan Cale was sitting at a large table, working on three separate computers and talking into the microphone of the headset he was wearing. His private plane had landed hours ago at London's Heathrow Airport, and after a quick tour through customs, they had arrived at the townhouse he kept in London.

The others had scattered when they arrived; some to take showers and freshen up a bit; the rest to grab some much needed sleep before they continued their pursuit of Asherton. Logan couldn't allow himself the luxury of either; his need to find Max overriding everything else. He had no illusions about how this was going to end; as much as he abhorred killing, he knew he was going to kill Asherton in cold blood.

He was so preoccupied, that he didn't notice as the others began to drift in a few at a time. He felt rather than saw, Delilah put a cup of coffee down next to his opened laptop. Amanda followed that up with a plate of sandwiches, some soup, and a handful of his favorite cookies. But it was Zach's offering of two shots of whiskey that made him look up and grin wryly. He knew they would never be friends, more like uneasy bed fellows; but he appreciated the X5's understanding of the hell he was going through.

"Alright everyone; let's get this started," Angela said, as she breezed into the room, Seth barely a step behind her. Logan smiled cheerily at the young X5, knowing that it unsettled him and to keep him guessing about exactly what or _who_ was on his agenda.

"Some of you know that my assignment at Manticore was a threefold initiative," she said, sitting down next to Logan. "I was to determine where Manticore stood as far as technological advances; in other words, had they started cloning the X5s."

"I was to make contact with the X5s and ascertain their receptiveness to leaving Manticore," she said looking at the five transgenic soldiers sitting across from her.

"Lastly, I was to uncover, retrieve and steal any information on the Mantra Project," she said as she placed a black thumb drive on the table.

Everyone in the room stared at the innocent looking device sitting in the middle of the mahogany conference table. They all knew that any information contained within it would be highly classified and worth killing for. Manticore had already killed to cover up its existence or eliminate anyone they deemed to be a risk; including their own genetically enhanced soldiers. The X5s throwing their lot in with Mantra would be considered traitors, slotted for termination and hunted by their brothers and sisters.

"It's too late for any of us to turn back now," Zach replied, meeting Angela's steady gaze.

"And we wouldn't want to," Seth said, as he entwined his fingers with hers, causing heat to shoot through her and her skin to burn. She momentarily ducked her head in embarrassment and hoped no one noticed she was sweating. She would definitely have to pay him back later.

"Angela and Logan have finally had time to download, decipher and compile all the information they have gathered in the last six months," Jason began.

"And there are still large chunks of the puzzle missing," Logan said standing.

"We have found that some of the information imparted to us by the Twenty, may have been wrong or misleading," Jason continued.

"They also outright lied," Logan said bluntly. "We can only speculate as to why."

"This is what we a have gleaned, and to the best of our abilities interpreted," Jason said.

"The Penningtons are a very wealthy, very powerful family based in Boston; originally from Belgium. They are what we call old money," Logan stated.

"Very old money," Jason replied. "From what we have been able to trace, the Penningtons, and they have changed the name throughout history when it suited them; held power in many monarchies and have significant influence in several major governments today."

"They are a reclusive family, shunning the spotlight and keeping a tight lid on any press associated with them," Logan interjected. "We have yet to figure out exactly where in the family hierarchy, Skylar Pennington falls, or as you know him, Lieutenant Richard Asherton."

"But he obviously figures prominently, as he is the one who infiltrated Manticore and engineered the events that led to Max's capture," Jason explained.

"Why Max?" Seth asked. "He had Ben; he could have gotten anything and everything he wanted from him."

"Not a baby," Zach said as he looked to Logan. He was remembering the conversation the two of them had after he stopped Zach's heart.

"Actually it goes deeper than that," Logan answered quietly, trying to block out images of what they could be doing to Max right now, as he impotently tried to find her.

"Charles Xavier Pennington, chairman of the Pennington Family Trust, is a man who holds several degrees," Jason said, taking over to allow Logan time to pull himself together. "He holds doctorate degrees in Human Evolutionary Biology, and Psychology, both obtained at Harvard. From Oxford he holds doctorates in Physiology, Biomedical Engineering and Politics. For all the degrees he has obtained, his real passion is parapsychology."

"Pennington used his personal wealth to set up the Mantra Initiative, but he decided to pitch his theory to the government, to obtain access to the most advanced and experimental technology available," Logan said, drawing all eyes back to him.

"Despite what your Colonel Lydecker believes, Pennington funneled millions into Manticore as well as Mantra. What are not sure what motivated him, but it was obvious that he was personally vested in both programs, and he was very hands on."

"Somewhere along the way, the government decided they didn't need his money or want his involvement in the programs; so they froze him out and seized all the records."

"I imagine that angered him, and made him more than a little bitter," Ben interjected.

"That would definitely be an understatement," Jason replied.

"So we know he was heavily involved in both programs, angry about being pushed out and bitter about having his work seized," Zach said. "Any of those reasons would be enough motivation for him to want a little payback."

"I would normally agree," Logan replied. "But it has been 30 years since his involvement ended with both projects, and that seems a little long to wait for revenge. Charles Pennington had an agenda when this started, and I believe that agenda is still what motivates him. If he can get a little retribution on the side, he'll take it happily. This man had a vision years ago; this man still has that same vision today."

"And with all the information we do have; we still don't know why he wanted Max," Jace said, a note of frustration entering into her voice.

"That is not entirely true," Angela said. "We don't know all of it, but we do know something."

"Pennington has an obsession with the paranormal, but he is also fascinated by genetics and the possibilities of what humans can evolve into," Logan said quietly. "He worked on some of the DNA sequences of the X5s before the government shut him out."

"Are you saying he worked on Max's genetics, and there for he has a vested interest in her?"

"He has a vested interest in all of you," Logan answered. "But with Max it goes deeper. He personally mapped out and manipulated Max's genetics himself; and he did so about 2 years before either project was started."

_Well it does seem as if you have been a very busy boy, Logan._

Logan visibly stiffened as the voice crooned in his mind. He felt the blood drain from his face, and he dropped into the first chair available. He felt Amanda's cool hands first on his head, and then on his wrist, checking his pulse. He could feel Jason and Delilah pushing to get in to his mind; but they were being blocked.

_I've almost missed these little conversations we use to have. You were the only one I could talk to, and that kept me from going insane. You still have a lot to learn little brother, and it may be too late for you to catch up._

_Who are you? You've never told me._

"_You'll find out soon enough. I wouldn't want to ruin it for you; be patient; just a little longer…_

"Logan, what the hell…"

"The voice," Logan replied, looking at Amanda and Delilah. "The voice is back."


End file.
